Dear Isabeau,
by Younger Wonder
Summary: TDI is over, but some things remain unsolved. As he tried to get his life back to normality, she wants everything but. However, it isn't until the letters appear that they take a closer look at what they truly want. Sometimes, love is Ezzy, eh.
1. Rain, Pain, and Pink Dye

Dear Isabeau,

**Summary: TDI is over, but some things remain unsolved. As he tried to get his life back to normality, she wants everything but. However, it isn't until the letters appear that they take a closer look at what they truly want.**

**This will take place about three months after TDI, but TDA never happened. And neither did TDWT, because if you're too dense to see it, that hasn't even aired yet. Several of the campers will be mentioned, but it mostly centers around two of the campers. If you can't figure out which two, you might need your eyes checked.**

**Ratings: It honestly varies. It's mostly T stuff, cussing, but every now and then, it changes to M or to K. I'm putting T, because the M stuff isn't really that bad.**

**Disclaimer: I = not owning TDI/TDA/TDWT. So get over it.**

**Let it begin! Or, you know, whatever. **

* * *

_**(**__**Hello**__**.) **__**(**__**For**__**.)**__ Dear Isabeau, _

_You probably don't remember me, but I remember you, eh. I suppose that if you do remember me, it will be a memory of the homeschooled sexist boy. __**(**__**I don't want you to think that**__.) But I've changed, really. I understand that I was wrong, and I understand that you might not forgive me. But I'd like to change that, eh. I've suffered from my __**(**__**consakqences)**__ consequences more than you actually realize. I know this won't be easy, but I truly hope you can. Please write back, eh, if you can. I'd really like that. I honestly hope we can be friends. __**(**__**If not more**__**.)**_

_From the highest point in my heart, (or is the term 'depth'?)_

_Ezekiel, eh_

_After Script: Is it okay by you if I call you Izzy or Beau or, what was it, Kaleidoscope?_

* * *

The homeschooled boy quickly looked over his letter.

'It ee'nt much, eh, but, it'll have to do. I just hope she can forgive me. I knoo I've caused a'loot of trooble, but I hope I can fix it.'

You could say he was a hopeful person.

The homeschool quietly opened the battered screen door and slipped out into the brisk morning air. Silent as ever, he slowly slinked up the mail box, which lay half hidden by the tangled mess of trees and undergrowth, and deposited his letter, closing the old-fashioned red box without a sound, preferring to keep the early morning as peaceful and silent as it was during the calming night, and then quickly started to make his way back to his little cottage, a small, cozy building with wooden shutters and smoke-colored shingles that lay a mile or so from the edge of the town. He always liked to send letters before the mailman came, because she was more of a mail girl. Ezekiel didn't get along too well with girls. However, the mail-girl loved to talk to Ezekiel, but not in the friendly way.

"Who are you mailing your letter to? Your _girlfriend?_ Oh, that's right! You don't have one, because the great and mighty _boy_ thinks he can do anything and everything without a _girl_ helping him."

Slightly lowering his head, the unfortunate boy turned around, filled with misgivings that because he failed to avoid Olivia, his day was going to turn out as rotten as an apple left out in the sweltering heat of the summer. He was used to the constant barbs coming from strangers and non-strangers alike, but Olivia had not only delivered and shipped Ezekiel and his family's mail for over two years, but she had also comforted him when he was at the rock bottom of his life. Seeing her pretty gray, almost silver, eyes narrowed in dislike every time she glanced at him, seeing the way her olive-colored arms quivered in hatred every time she handed him the mail, made Ezekiel want to curl up in a ball and wish that 'the rude ho'ost, Chris McClean, was never even bo'orn'. Ezekiel managed to survive the death glare by remembering that there still might be hope left. After all, even after the Total Drama Incident, Olivia still comforted Ezekiel that one night he came home, crying and drenched in hot pink die. It was this one hour of soft words and open hearts that helped Ezekiel realize that his post-TDI life might be bearable. However, it's hard to expect what his day will bring. She's rude, then caring, then mean, then understanding. It's enough to drive anyone crazy. It was only a couple days ago, but…

* * *

_It was a dark and stormy night. A classic start to any fairytale, but Ezekiel felt like his fairytale was more of a nightmare. One where the evil monster wasn't a green and blue blob of slime, but tan and blonde and had ice-blue eyes that could pierce even the toughest of armor. And wasn't even evil. _

"_So, finally out of our hidey-hole, are we? Finding reality to your liking? Or is it more of a slap in the face? What is it like, abandoning your friends?" The voice was filled with cold fury and betrayal, which stood out against the sniggers coming from behind like an ice-cube in the middle of an oven. But however much Ezekiel hoped the ice cube would melt, it seemed nearly indestructible. _

_That would be the monster herself, along with her group of clones. The clones weren't what Ezekiel feared, they were just mere copies of the real thing. _

_Judging from the eyes that quickly glanced over to the odd sight then just as quickly looked away, like 'don't mind me, I'm not staring,' Ezekiel figured that someone like Whitney, the pretty girl filled with hurt, towering over a small, strange boy, like himself, was a strange sight. _

_At least, that's what Ezekiel thought, but he couldn't be sure, as he wasn't as good at reading body language as most people. That's the reason, if truth be told, that Ezekiel was in the mess in the first place. But how was he supposed to know not to comment about a girl playing football, or worse, her hair, especially after he's been missing for several months because of the Incident? But he wasn't prepared to see Whitney. Something stirred in him, a mix of terror, betrayal, and some other feeling that he couldn't quite name. _

_"Are you going to make another comment about how girls aren't strong enough to play football, Mr. Tough?" the barely whispered words somehow seemed louder than the chorus of mocking giggles. _

"_But, eh, don't only guys play football? Whitney is that…is that you?" Had Whitney, the not-quite-evil monster herself, actually noticed Ezekiel through her heavily eye-shadowed eyes, she would have noticed the look of confusion on his face. But all she was seeing was a __**guy**__ saying that __**girls **__couldn't play football. And to add insult to injury, he made some snide comment about her hair. Then he didn't even recognize her. _

"_No, 'eh', to your first question, and hell yeah to your second. How could you not recognize me?" Whitney sneered, her voice still hardly more than a breathe, yet still reached nearly everybody's ears. "I know several girls that play football, and they could all beat you so badly, there'd be nothing left but a speck of dust. Speaking of dusty, you have no right complain about my hair when yours looks as if it hasn't been washed in weeks." Just on cue, Whitney's clones started laughing quite loudly, attracting even more attention. The way Whitney stated the words without a touch of hesitation or even almost rudeness almost convinced Ezekiel that she was actually right. Almost._

"_But ho'ot pink ain't a natural coo'lor, is it?" Ezekiel asked, while silently thinking to himself, 'Maybe, eh, if I go'ot up insto'od of cowering on the floor, it woon't look so weird.'_

_Whitney sensed his struggle to stand up, and instead put her foot down on top of his chest, getting an "Oomph!" from Ezekiel. _

_"No no, Mr. Boy. If you want to get up, you'll have to fight for it. Shouldn't be too hard because you're a __**guy!**__" Whitney rolled her eyes, adding in a slightly louder voice, "Besides, hot pink is not a natural color, but that doesn't matter. I dyed my hair that color, and it looks so much better that your brown mess that you call hair."_

_Ezekiel knew he was not going to be able to stand up, mainly because he was taught that he couldn't harm a girl, but also because his parents did not teach Physical Education at his homeschool. _

"_Please, eh, Whitney, I didn't mean to insult you like that! It was an accido'ont! So, um, could you please get off me, eh?"Ezekiel had asked._

"_Well, your "accido'ont" totally was uncalled for-" one of the clones had started to speak before being silenced by a glance from Whitney. _

"_Why of course, Ezekiel!" Whitney answered in a tone like acid honey. Ezekiel, however, being as uneducated in teens as a rock, didn't notice the change in her voice._

"_Oh, really? Thanks, eh, Whitney! I guess your hair isn't that bad," Ezekiel chattered happily as he stood up and dusted himself off, glad to be standing up even though it made the difference in height even more noticeable. _

"_Glad you like it, Mr. Sexist, because you're about to have it yourself," snarled Whitney, as she pulled out her bottle of hair dye. Before Ezekiel could jerk back, she had emptied what was left of the bottle onto Ezekiel's head, earning gasps and quiet mutters from the gathering audience. _

_Even Ezekiel could tell that this wasn't one of the best times to be standing in the middle of the mall in _public_ drenched in pink dye, which was slowly seeping down into the roots of his hair. People weren't even bothering to hide their laughter and giggles. Ezekiel felt his face turn a bright shade of red, similar to the shade of ripe strawberries, and he assumed that his face went well with the hot pink slowly drip, drip, dripping down his hair. _

"_Why, Ezekiel, why, that after years of never letting us even catch a glance of you, you suddenly grace us with your appearance?" Whitney's face appeared inches from Ezekiel. Although the hot pink homeschooled could almost feel the fury radiating from her, but in her eyes, Ezekiel could see the curiosity, the questioning gaze that held his, along with one glimmer of one emotion Ezekiel couldn't understand. "Why, Ezekiel?"_

"_I…" Ezekiel tried to defend himself, but it's hard to defend yourself if even you don't know the answer. _

"_I've wanted to know the answer for a while. I would stay awake, staring at my ceiling, thinking to myself, 'What could have happened? He used to come around almost once a day, so nice and helpful. What happened to him? Where is he, and how has he changed?' Those questions nearly drove me insane," Whitney's voice was once again barely above a whisper, like a faint winter wind slowly blowing through Ezekiel's ears. "I always hoped I could see you again, hoped that we could go back to the way things were. Reality, as always, fell short of my hopes. You look the same, sound the same, but I knew something changed. It shown through your eyes, the change. I didn't, however, expect it to be so simple yet so un-you. You're cold, uncaring, didn't even recognize me. The first thing you said to me, you best friend forever that you haven't seen in forever, was an insult about my hair. The second thing you said to me was an insult about me being a girl. You disappoint me Ezekiel. Why?"_

_All while Whitney was whispering words into Ezekiel's ear, the crowd started to drift away. A girl dumping a can of dye on a boy, then whispering in a voice laced with pain: Been there, seen that. Soon, it was only Ezekiel and Whitney, and her clones of course, filling the empty space. All while Whitney was whispering words into Ezekiel's ear, he was looking anywhere but her blue eyes, knowing that he would drown in their ocean of despair. He studied the small fountain he was pushed up against, the many stores that lined the wall of the mall, all advertising shoes or food or electronics. He examined the high roof strung with ribbons of every shade and color of the rainbow: from the brightest reds to the darkest blues to the palest greens to the deepest purples. It was mesmerizing to watch the ribbons gently waver in the air conditioning-produced wind. But at Whitney's last word, Ezekiel couldn't help but glance into her eyes, giant pools of icy water than Ezekiel was being sucked into like a whirlwind._

_Whitney started talking again. "I know that things haven't been the best between us, that you would occasionally make a sexist comment, but you were learning. I blamed it on your homeschool. But suddenly you come back and everything I liked about you was nearly gone and everything I hated about you was expanded tenfold. What happened?"_

"_There was this Incido'nt," Ezekiel managed to stammer out. Whitney's eyes were like Ezekiel's portal to her feelings: a glimmer of hope for the future, a streak of sadness for what they had lost, a hint of fury for what he did to her, all shadowed by the dark suspicion that he was lying to her, that him coming back was too good to be true._

"_What incident?"_

"_First, eh, it was an Incido'nt, capitol 'i'. Second, I'm surprised you haven't heard of it yet. It was all over natio'onal television, wasn't it? And, uhm, I'd rather not explain with them here, if they don't already know. If that's okay, eh…?" Ezekiel's voice faded off into nothingness._

_Whitney looked back at her clones, er, friends. "Go, I'll be fine. Janice, take good care of Kaitlyn and Sarah, won't you." It was more of a command than a question. They all nodded, shrugged, put on their best disappointed-nonchalant faces, and walked away, already conversing about silly girl stuff, like clothes, shoes, and makeup. Everything was already out of sight, out of mind._

"_I…We…They're gone. And you have a lot of explaining to do."_

_Ezekiel took a deep breath. "Whitney, promise me that no matter what I tell you, you won't repeat it to anybody who doesn't already know. And that you won't judge me, that you'll still be my friend, my only friend, my best friend."_

_Whitney nodded, and then added, "You keep saying '_doesn't already know_' like everyone should know. Did you murder someone?"_

_Ezekiel shook his head._

"_Multiple someones?" Whitney started looking nervous about her decision to send away her clones._

"_I don't kill anybody."_

"_Then what? God damn it, tell me Ezekiel! What caused you to change so completely?" _

_Ezekiel looked away from her blue eyes, not wanting to see the hatred, distrust, and pain that would soon surely be there. _

"_Have you been watching television recently? Like within the past mo'nth?"_

"_Ezekiel," Whitney sighed, "what does this have to do with anything?"_

"_It has everything to do with it."_

_She sighed. "Everyone's been watching television, but as you know, we only get – what – five channels? We were expecting to get this new channel that would air this one reality show, called Complete Dramatic Island, or something, but we never got it."_

_Ezekiel sighed in relief, and then cringed at the mention of 'Complete Dramatic Island'._

_Whitney noticed his behavior, and raised her eyebrows in curiosity._

_Ezekiel sighed again, this time in desperation. "The show's called Total Drama Island."_

"_You know of it! That is so cool! What's it about?"_

"_It's a competition, where 22 teenage contestants compete to win $1 million dollars. Every three days there would be a challenge, where the two teams of 11 contestants each would battle against each other. The winning team got rewards, while the losing team had to vote off a contestant. Each contestant on the losing team would cast their vote on who they want to leave, and the contestant with the most amount of votes would be voted off. Eventually the teams were disbanded, but alliances were formed. Lies were told, hearts broken, humiliation caused, all in the hopes of being the victor._

"_It took place on Camp Wawanakwa, with only 24 people on the island, along with some unpaid interns: The contestants, the chef named Chef, and the host…Chris McClean."_

_Whitney gasped. "I can't believe I missed all of that! I…But what does that have to do with your Incident? How do you know so much about the show that didn't even air here?"_

_Ezekiel laughed a cold humorless laugh. "Whitney, Total Drama Island has everything to do with my Incido'nt."_

_Whitney looked even more confused. "Ezekiel, stop screwing with my head!"_

_There was a moment of silence where Whitney stared at Ezekiel, waiting for an answer, while Ezekiel kept staring away from her eyes. She finally whispered, less serious and more to herself than Ezekiel, "Boy, what I wouldn't get to meet one of the contestants…To actually get an autograph. Speaking of contestants, Ezekiel, who were they?"_

"_There was a large boy named Owen, a surfer girl named Bridgette, a party boy named Geoff, a nature-loving boy named DJ, a perfect student CIT girl named Courtney, a criminal boy named Duncan, a bossy girl named Heather, a loud and proud girl named Leshawna, a nerd named Harold, a blonde named Lindsay, a book-nerd named Noah, a jock named Tyler, a female body builder named Eva, these best female friends for life Katie and Sadie, the eye candy Justin, the farm girl Beth, the Goth Gwen, the musician Trent, the techno-geek Cody, and…Iz...Izzy-Isabeau." Ezekiel stuttered over the last one._

_Whitney noticed his stuttering and narrowed her eyes, "What's special about this Isabeau girl, huh? Hmm, well, I guess she is a celebrity. I can't hope to compete with that, yet anyway." Whitney then looked pointedly at Ezekiel, hoping he'd get the hint, but the clue just went flying over his head._

"_You woon't have to compete with her because Total Drama Island is already over. So there isn't a challenge to compete against, because the money was already won."_

"_Ezekiel," Whitney sighed, "sometimes you are incredibly clueless."_

"_I know! I'm soo'ry about what I've said, okay?" Ezekiel shouted and threw his hands up._

"_What are you talking about?"_

_Ezekiel growled in frustration, pulled out a pen and post-it note, scribbled his name on it, and stuck it to her forehead._

"_Happy now? Now you have an autograph from one of the contestants."_

"_Holy crap, YOU competed in Total Drama Island? My best friend is a famous celebrity!"_

_Ezekiel's voice turned emotionless, just a dull, blank voice. "Infamous is more like it. I managed to insult half of the population in the first challenge. But I jumped, unlike some other people who should have been the first one on the boat."_

"_Ezekiel, what are you talking about?" Whitney asked again, more softly and sadly._

_Ezekiel suddenly was aware of the fact that they were the only ones left in the mall. As if on cue, an announcement echoed around the mall:_

"_ATTENTION SHOPPERS. THE MALL WILL BE CLOSING IN 5 MINUTES. PLEASE MAKE YOU'RE WAY TO THE NEAREST EXIT, OR SEE AN ASSISTANT IF YOU NEED MORE TIME OR HELP. THANK YOU FOR SHOPPING AT YOUR LOCAL BLUE CREEK MALL TODAY."_

"_Ezekiel, hurry. We don't have enough time."_

_Ezekiel gestured towards the nearby exit door and they started walking towards it._

"_I was on Total Drama Island. The first challenge was to jump off a cliff. I did, but two other people didn't. Then I completely lost my mind, said something about how we would have won if we had more guys on our team than girls and about how guys were stronger than girls, and next thing I know, I'm the first one on the Dock of Shame, boarding the Boat of Losers, and never returning."_

_They had reached the exit door, the bell tinkling as the door shut behind them. _

_Whitney was speechless. She asked in an emotionless voice, "So where does this Isabeau girl come in?"_

"_I was on the Killer Bass team and she was on the Screaming Gophers team, but I couldn't help at marvel at how independent, wild, and unique she was. Even at Playa de Losers, the place where voted off people go, I still watched the episodes, still watched her. But I never had a chance, especially with my sexist comments, to even talk to her. We could have been friends, maybe."_

_Whitney's eyes filled with tears._

"_What about me? Didn't you remember the friend you left behind, without even telling her where you were going? Or were you too caught up in the fact that you'll be famous and possibly rich to remember to even send a single letter back to your best friend back home? I bet when you met Isabeau, all thought of me and us completely left your head."_

"_Whitney, why are you crying? What's –"_

"_Don't pretend, Ezekiel, that you care about me. You deserve every punishment for opening your mouth. Go and forget about me again; go and be with _Isabeau_ like you _want_ to."_

_Whitney sniffled. "I should have known that you'd only break my heart."_

_And with that, she ran off down the street. A lightning strike flashed across the sky, and when Ezekiel's eyes finally cleared, Whitney was gone. It started pouring, leaving the poor boy drenched in rain, pain, and pink dye._

_He wandered around the town, subconsciously heading for his house. Ezekiel was acting weird to anyone who happened to be peering out their window and distinguish the lone boy from the dreary rain. He would take several blocks in one direction, then just stop and turn another direction and go for several blocks, taking the roundabout path towards one direction. _

"_Hey! Boy!"_

_Apparently, someone could distinguish the short, brown-pink haired boy from the downpour of rain, as he emerged from his house, a stereotypical white stone, black shingle cottage that's rather on the small size._

"_Yes, sir?"_

"_Are you homeless? Why are you wondering on my lawn? Is that pink…What is that in your hair?"_

_Most adults treated Ezekiel like that, probably because he was short enough to be 14 not 16. The pink sticky liquid that was slowly seeping down Ezekiel's neck didn't help the poor boy blend in._

"_No. I'm not. Pink dye." Ezekiel answered, his voice loud enough to be heard over the rain, which didn't appear to be letting up anytime soon._

"_Oh," the stranger muttered, and then stepped back into his house, not wanting to get wet or get stuck in Ezekiel's troubled world._

_When Ezekiel arrived at the wondering drive way, the dirt road turning quickly into mud, he realized he didn't want to go back home, to his parents. His mother would glare at him with disappointment and frustration, while his father would nod his head in agreement, which wasn't strange, considering the fact that he was the one who told Ezekiel the lies about guys being superior to girls. _

_So Ezekiel sat on the curb, next to his mailbox, like he used to do at 3 o'clock every day, waiting for Olivia to show up. His hair was wet with rain and sticky with pink dye, which was already leaving his brown hair, dripping down his neck, and seeping into the ground and his clothes. Not a comfortable experience. _

"_Ezekiel? Oh, my god, is that pink dye? What happened?" _

_Ezekiel looked up and spied Olivia, of all people standing above him, with a concerned look on her face._

"_Why," his muttered, "do you care?"_

_Olivia sat down next to Ezekiel on the curb._

"_I do; what happened?"_

"_I saw Whitney for the first time since Total Drama Island, and she was mad. Not because of what I'd said; the show didn't even air down here, so she had no idea I was even on the show. She was mad because I was gone for months, and she had no clue where I was."_

"_But, what with the dye? And are you sure that's the only reason she's mad at you?"_

"_She got mad when I said something about her pink hair, so she dumped the rest of the bottle on me. And what you do mean?"_

"_Ezekiel, Ezekiel, you are so blind. I'm not going to spell it out for you."_

"_But, why do _you_ care?" Ezekiel whispered._

_Olivia sat down next to Ezekiel and put her arm around Ezekiel, but in a comforting friend sort of way. At least, that's what Ezekiel hoped it was. _

"_Ezekiel, even though you screwed up majorly, people will eventually forgive you. But Whitney has a different reason to be mad at you. I'm beginning to understand that it wasn't even your fault, that your dad, Mr. Martin, told you the, er, incorrect information about reality."_

"_I know, but he approves of what I said, and that annoys me. Mother, however, is furious at me… But why else would Whitney be mad at me?"_

"_Ezekiel," Olivia explained in a voice similar to a preschool teacher explaining that one plus one equals two, "what exactly did she say?"_

"_Umm… _'I bet when you met Isabeau, all thought of me and us completely left your head'_."_

"_Exactly! You couldn't have picked a better sentence to prove my point!" Olivia exclaimed._

"_What about _'_I should have known that you'd only break my heart_'?

"_Even better_. Or should I say worse? _But, Ezekiel, think about it."_

"_Whitney likes me?"_

"_Can't say I blame her." Olivia laughed._

"_Why?" Ezekiel wanted to know._

"_Ezekiel, I can't say why she likes you, only why I do. Think about what I've told you, Ezekiel. It's time for me to get on with my route."_

_Olivia got up and walked away, leaving Ezekiel even more confused than ever. _

* * *

Back in the present, Olivia was staring at Ezekiel. It was obvious they were both thinking of the same night, because she said, "Forget I just said that. People will forgive you. Just give them a couple years, Mr. Sexist."

"That's a letter to a… an acquaintance," was all Ezekiel responded with.

"Somebody I know?"

"Not personally."

"A girl or a boy?"

"I'm not telling."

"Or, I guess, a Trans?"

"Trans?"

"Uh, hello Ezekiel, transvestite?"

"Trans-what?"

"It's a cross-dresser, or someone who gets their sexuality changed."

"Uh…What?"

Olivia laughed. "Don't worry aboo't it, Ezekiel."

"What do you want?"

Olivia suddenly got silent. Finally she said in an emotionless voice, "I have a package to Mr. Ezekiel Martin. I'll be sure to deliver your letter. Good bye."

Ezekiel accepted the package, and watched bewildered as she stormed off.

Shrugging, he walked back to his house, quietly opened and shut the door, and snuck up to his room. He stared at the package, which was about the size of a CD, and had no return address. He opened it and gasped. It was a DVD of the Total Drama Island Special, including not only all of the episodes, but behind-the -scenes looks of campers caught on camera. He paled, already telling this wouldn't turn out good.

He slowly put the DVD in the new DVD player his parents got to go with the television so they could watch him on Total Drama Island. Apparently, someone had edited the DVD because it only showed scenes with Ezekiel and Isabeau in it together. And the same someone had circled with a red marker Ezekiel's face, every time he looked at Isabeau. It was sickening, how much time it must have taken to go through all 28 episodes and find the parts that supported the fact that Ezekiel admired Isabeau more than he should have. It would have taken several days…

Whitney. The last Ezekiel saw of her was several days ago, when she disappeared in the flash of lightning. She seemed so upset about Isabeau; this couldn't possibly be a coincident…

It seemed to Ezekiel that just when his life might be getting back on track, it was about to be completely thrown off. Ezekiel sat down again and waited for Isabeau's reply.

* * *

**ATTENTION: THIS STORY WAS PREVIOUSLY CALLED **Dear Isabella, **BUT I REALIZED A FEW THINGS. FIRST OFF, ISABELLA IS THAT TWILIGHT PERSON AND THIS IS NOT A TWILIGHT FANFIC. SECOND, SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE NAMED IZZY ISABELLA, AND I WANTED SOMETHING DIFFERENT. SO I CHANGED IT TO **Dear Isabeau, **BUT THIS IS THE SAME STORY. **

**So how was it? Like it? Hate it? I crave your opinion. Flames are welcome-ish, but only if it's helpful. Please don't criticize every little detail.**

**Also, it could be slow going, getting the chapters out, because I want my chapters to be around 5,000+ words long, not those 350 word 'chapters', and I'm having some boy trouble, and my friends recently dumped me. So suck it up and wait.**

**Speaking of waiting, I'll always post at the bottom of the chapter the name of an author/story that you should check out.**

**And now a short word from my sponsors:**

*****INTRODUCING NEW BRIGHT-NIGHT-LIGHT LAMPS*

Courtney: Hey, Izzy…

Izzy: Yes, Courtney?

Courtney: Is your room always dark at night?

Izzy: Um, Courtney? When night comes, everywhere is dark.

Courtney: What she meant to say was, "Of course it's dark, and I hate the dark."

Izzy: But I love the dark! My Uncle Bonjour once connected a light bulb to an orange in the middle of the night, and he was so bright that people could see him from miles around!

Courtney: Iz-zy! Follow the script!

Izzy: But the script is boring!

Courtney: Come on! If we don't read the script, we won't get paid!

Izzy: Actually, Courts, we get paid just for being on this advertisement, not for following the script.

Courtney: Really?

Izzy: Yep, as long as we advertise it in some way, we get paid.

Courtney: Nice. So all of you people reading **Dear Isabeau**, or just skipping to the end, you cheaters, go and buy a **Night-Sight-Light Lamp** thing today!

Izzy: It's **Bright-Night-Light** Lamp.

Courtney: I don't care.

(Courtney walks off the stage.)

Izzy: Ooo! That looks like fun!

(Izzy walks towards the edge of the stage, but accidentally falls off. She giggles.)

*****YOU HEARD IT! GO AND BUY A BRIGHT-NIGHT-LIGHT LAMP TODAY!*****

**So uhm, yeah. Go and buy a lamp thing.**

**Remember the three R's…**

**Read – my story**

**Review – my story**

**Recommend – your story or another story or yourself or another author to be posted at the bottom of my chapters**

**See you soon, or not. **

**TTYL, TTFN, & l8r g8r!**

**God, I hate that. Anyway, l8rs.**

**-cometsgirl-**


	2. Pretty Little City

**Dear Isabeau,**

**People are so nice. I've already got reviews and favorites and everything. It made my day…=)**

**Mucho Gracias to **Imagi** and **allygirl56 **for adding **Dear Isabeau,** to their Story Alert subscription.**

**Merci beaucoup to **Athulis**,** xXErineilXx**, and **Skull and Bones** for adding **Dear Isabeau,** to their Favorite Stories list.**

**謝 ****to **Athulis** for adding **me** to their Author Alert subscription.**

**Πολλές Ευχαριστίες to **Athulis** and **The American Writer **for adding **me** to their Favorite Authors list.**

**Reviews: (!)**

**To **Athulis**: Believe me, I don't plan on stopping any time soon…unless, like, a freak meteorite hits the earth and kill us all. If that happened, my story might be put on HIATUS for a while. =O**

**To **allygirl56**: Yeah, the bolded parts of the letter are supposed to be the stuff he crossed out. My computer screwed up, and the parts were crossed out turned bolded. Oh well. You understood what I meant to do. =)**

**To **xXErineilXx**: I know exactly what you mean. I do somewhat like DXC stories, but some of these stories are pretty obsessive. And I'll keep writing, if only because of the sugar. I like sugar! =D**

* * *

"I said I don't want to respond to it!" the redhead growled in a voice that would have caused most sane people to back up. "I refuse to answer _him._ I refuse to _read_ it!"

"Miss Winters, your fellow contestant –"

"Ex-contestant, you mean. And don't call me Miss Winters. You don't want to know what happened to the last guy to do that."

"Actually, it says right here in your contract that you are considered a contestant and must compete in future competitions until the Total Drama Agency sees fit to nullify your contract."

She just groaned, "No way."

"'_As is understandable by the contest, the Total Drama Agency, yourself, your lawyer… you shall be permitted to be called back to compete…in more of the reality television shows, series of the original Total Drama Island…and until the Total Drama Agency sees fit to cancel out your contract, you shall be a contestant and camper…until you reach the age of 18.'_" The RCMP Guardian quoted.

"They can't do that!"

"They can and they will."

The redhead started rocking back and forth from her seat, perched at the entrance to her (tree) house, about 10 feet above the ground.

"As I was saying, Miss Winters, if he has written you a letter, no matter how poorly –"

"Watch what you, wait, never mind…" Izzy stopped, realizing she was about to defend him.

"You should at least see what it says. You never know what it could say; maybe it's about the next season of Total Drama."

"I said no!" Izzy cackled evilly and grabbed her nearby vine. Stile grinning, ther redhead swung on the vine (Tarzan would be proud) and leaped off behind her guardian.

"Wait, Miss Winters! I'm responsible for you!" he sighed and pulled out his cell phone, about to contact the RCMP headquarters that his burden had escaped again. "I hate it when she does that."

Izzy, however, had to intention of being caught again. By the time her Guardian had finished getting yelled at (again) by the RCMP, she was already off her estates at skipping down the road. She mimicked holding a shotgun in her hand and started shooting at random cars passing by. When someone honked at her, she bowed and shouted, "Your welcome! Come again!"

That was on the outside, her usual crazy self. On the inside, she was trying to figure out why she acted like so. Sure, she was pissed that she didn't win, but why would she be so openly hateful to the letter from poor Homeschool? What he'd ever do to her?

Finally, Izzy connected the pieces. Everything clicked into place, revealing the bigger picture, just like those jigsaw puzzles everyone did as a child. Homeschool's only fault was one that she couldn't forgive and forget. He underestimated her. Just like her parents had underestimated her. It was because of that, and Izzy's unnatural bad luck, that caused the Accident.

Izzy shivered. Just the thought of the Accident caused her heart to ache with the pain that only comes from the death of loved ones.

It was just an innocent comment or two (well, not quiet innocent) made by Homeschool. Yet, the words had a deeper meaning to Izzy than any of the other girls. Courtney, Eva, Bridgette, they were all mad that Homeschool thought guys were better than girls. To Izzy, she was furious because the last time someone had underestimated her, she had killed two people she loved.

Izzy could remember every part of that night, of that _nightmare_. From the smell of champagne and rich perfume, to the feel of the soft velvety carpet underneath her bare feet…

* * *

_The clock showed it was 11:55, but the party looked like it had no intention of stopping soon. Everywhere you looked, you would see elegant women with beautiful flowers and expensive dresses, or tall men dressed in smart-looking black tuxedos. The chandelier swayed overhead, the glittering crystals chiming together. The delicate laughter echoed around the large room. Everyone was so caught up in meeting famous and influential people that they didn't notice the redheaded, green-eyed, barefoot, 14 year old girl standing in the doorway._

"_Excuse me, miss, but you're in the doorway…No darling, I'm sure that France wouldn't mind if you bought one of the Channel Islands."_

_One of the many guests just arriving pushed past the girl, hardly even noticing her, he was too busy discussing with a fair looking blonde that just reeked of money. She stepped aside, realizing she was attracting attention, even if it's only a small amount. It would only take one person to make the assumption that she didn't belong there, and then it would be too late to prove anything._

_Izzy noticed the staircase and the deserted balcony and she made her way over to the red soft-feeling, luxurious-looking carpet-clad stairs. _

_Something was pulling the girl up the stairs, some instinct that allowed humans to survive for many millenniums, but whatever it was, it told her something bad was about to happen…_

* * *

Izzy jerked her head up. She found herself sitting on her knees in the middle of the sidewalk.

"Miss Winters! What are you _doing?_ Come with me _now!_"

To make matters worse, Izzy RCMP Guardian was approaching her at a pace that could be called a fast walk. Izzy quickly jumped up and sprinted down the sidewalk, turning down street after street until he was far behind her.

'_I _promised_ myself I wouldn't think of the Accident anymore…But if it keeps surprising me like that, I'll go insane like Uncle Bonjour…' _Izzy thought to herself, as she dashed out from behind an oak tree, surprising a couple of evening lovers. She didn't spare _them_ another thought, rather her attention turned to her RCMP Guardian, whose real name is _not_ RCMP Guardian (shocking right?), but Mr. Wright, a name that had earned him the nickname (by Izzy, of course) Mr. Wrong.

'_Hehe,'_ she silently laughed to herself, _'I should be grateful I got Mr. Wrong. If it weren't for him, I'd be on the streets again…And I could have gotten a worse Guardian, one that locks me up in my house, or rather, tree house. Hmmm...'_

"Do tree houses even have locks?" Izzy asked out loud, not expecting an answer.

"I don't know, sweetheart. Are you trying to keep certain people out of your bedroom?"

Izzy whirled around to find…no one? She turned back, and still didn't find anybody. She wasn't imaging voices yet; she's not that crazy.

"Up here, sweetheart."

This time Izzy looked up, into the branches of a tree, and found a boy around 17 sitting on one of the branches, grinning an Izzy grin.

"Bam!" Izzy shouted, while mimicking shooting a gun. She grinned, "Sorry, it's a habit."

The boy jumped down with the easy gracefulness of someone who's had plenty of practice doing that. Izzy could finally get a good look at him.

He had dyed navy blue hair and eyes that matched. His white undershirt and black unbuttoned shirt and black jeans stood out against his pale skin. Izzy was immediately wary of him, not knowing why.

"So, what's a pretty young thing like yourself walking the streets at a time like this?" he asked.

Izzy stared at him like _he_ was the crazy one.

"Mr. Stranger –" she began, before he interrupted: "It's Jet."

"'Kay. Jet, you know it's only, what, 4 in the afternoon. And I am capable of defending myself, you know. Once my Uncle Bonjour…" Izzy faltered at the mention of her uncle, and then kept talking. If Jet noticed, he didn't comment. "Once, he was attacked by all of these ninja assassins from this group of an organization called 'The Ace of Spades' **[1]**, and they were trying to kill him. But he knew all these ninja moves, so he survived. He taught me everything I know, so I'm practically a ninja! And so –" Izzy was stopped short because Jet had latched his mouth to hers. She blinked a few times, started glaring daggers, and pushed against Jet with all her might. She sent him toppling to his feet.

"What was that?" Izzy screeched.

"Well, you wouldn't _shut up!_ And besides, don't act like you didn't enjoy it. Now, help me up, will you sweetheart?" Jet held out his outstretched hand.

Izzy kicked him three times in the place where the sun don't shine. "That's for insulting me. That's for kissing me. And that's for calling me sweetheart."

Needless to say, that kind of pissed off Jet.

"Fine, crazy bitch. Don't say I didn't warn you." This earned him another kick.

Izzy cackled again, and a sudden brilliant idea stuck her. Izzy pulled out a length of vine from who-knows-where and smirks evilly at Jet.

A few moments later…

"What the hell? Why did you…do this?" That would be Jet. The laughed that was barely contained would be Izzy.

"I'd love to _hang_ around with you, but," Izzy gestured towards the shining city lights then smiled and shrugged helplessly, "the city calls, you know?"

Izzy walked away, obviously ignoring the string of profanities coming from the navy-blue haired boy dangling by his ankles from a vine that was wrapped around the branch of the tree he was previously sitting in.

Izzy started humming to herself as she approached the city, which shall remain nameless to insure Izzy's privacy. Amidst the towering buildings, the blinking lights, and the relentless noise, Izzy felt right at home.

Izzy could name all of the vast businesses and hotels alike. Right there, to her left, was the _Sleeping Dove Inn_, infamous for having the worst batch of criminals to sleep in its ratty, cheap beds. It was originally a cube shaped building, but every owner had added a new wing, so it's now the most-mismatched building in the entire city. Izzy remembered stopping there for dinner one night. She grimaced at the thought of the barf coloured stew – if you could even call it that. It put even Chef's cooking to shame, in the _utterly disgusting _category. She saw a cockroach leg floating around in the muck. It twitched.

Needless to say, Izzy did not go back for seconds.

Up ahead was the cooperate tower that manufactured chocolate bars, of all things. It was a normal rectangular prism tower, like all other towers around the globe, but this one was different. It was painted to look exactly like a giant chocolate bar. It was painted a chocolate brown and had 'Hershay's Chocolate' painted along the edge. Izzy tried climbing the side, but before she could get 10 feet off the ground, her hand slid off the curve of the 'e'. Izzy cackled her famous – or infamous, whatever you prefer – cackle at her memory of sneaking in once, before Total Drama Island, before the Accident, before she lost all hope of being _normal_, and changing the labels of the chocolate to read 'Dizzy Izzy's Crazy Chocolate Bars' instead of 'Hershay's Chocolate.' **[2]**

Next to the chocolate manufacturing business was a small, actually cube-shaped building, the tiny gift shop. Izzy snorted in disgust – Izzy detested anything normal – but smiled at the pleasant – well, _normal_ – memories she had of the place. Her baking cookies with Mrs. Smithy, her painting the inside walls a bright lime green. If she tried hard enough, Izzy could even remember the warm, moist, chocolaty smell of the cookies being pulled out from the oven.

All of this brought tears to Izzy's eyes. Her life would never be the same.

Making her first stop, as per usual, at the magazine stand, Izzy greeted one of her many city friends.

"Yo, Mickey, how's the stand selling?"

"Same old, same old, Bells. I'm surprised to see you here, thought. Didn't Mr. Wright ground you to your estate for three weeks for ditching the last week of your boarding school to go camping in the nearby forest?"

"Yep!" Izzy grinned.

"So why'd he let you come to the city? Alone, it appears."

"He didn't."

"Then, what – oh, I see. Still delightfully evil as always, Izzy."

"So what's the hottest seller?" Izzy asked, curious.

"See for yourself." Mickey held up one of many magazines, titled _Drama Deliver_. Izzy rose her eyebrows because on the cover was a picture of her. Technically, it was that picture of all of the 22 contestants standing or sitting on the dock, taken at the beginning of the season, right before the dock broke and they all crashed into the ice-cold water. She snatched the magazine from Mickey's hands and flipped to the article. She read and her knuckles started turning white. Mickey instinctively backed away.

_Drama's Not over for Total Drama Island_

_Hey dedicated fans. Remember, way back a month or two ago, that reality show featuring 22 teens (Owen the Overeater, Bridgette the Surfer, Geoff the Party Animal, DJ the Animal Friend, Courtney the CIT, Duncan the Criminal, Heather the Queen Bee, Leshawna the Loud n' Proud Sister, Harold the Nerd, Izzy the Crazy Girl, Lindsay the Blonde, Noah the Bookworm, Ezekiel the Homeschool, Eva the Fitness Buff, Tyler the Jock, Katie and Sadie the BFFFLs, Justin the Eye Candy, Beth the Farm-girl, Gwen the Goth, Trent the Musician, and Cody the Techno-Geek)? _

_Well, we promised to keep you up to date about any sort of activity from Total Drama Agency, the agency that ran Total Drama Island. And now we are keeping our promise. _

_Total Drama Island is having a reunion, where all 22 contestants (see above) will return together for one day and night, celebrating surviving Total Drama Island and congratulating Owen, the winner. _

_We caught up to Chris McLean to find out more…_

_Drama Deliver: So, Mr. McLean, it is true, then, about the reunion?_

_Chris McLean: Please, call me Chris. And yes _[evil cackle] _Total Drama Island campers will be meeting again for the first time since Total Drama Island._

_Drama Deliver: So, Chris, you are known for having, let's say, _unusual_ surprises for our favorite campers, so of course, this piqued our interest in the reunion. You wouldn't happen to have anything up your sleeve, would you?_

_Chris McLean: Oh, you should know by now, I'll always have something up my sleeve. But, as to the reunion…oh yes, _[evil cackle] _there will be a delightful surprise._

_Drama Deliver: Oh, now you really have us interested. Could you tell us more?_

_Chris McLean: All I can say is that Total Drama Island is far from over. _

_Drama Deliver: Thank you Chris McLean for you time today. Now Drama Deliver caught up to some of the available campers to have their views on the reunion and surprise._

_Drama Deliver: Geoff, how have you been?_

_Geoff: Awesome, magazine people! _

_Drama Deliver: And how's Bridgette?_

_Geoff: Bridge is amazing!_

_Drama Deliver: Uh-huh, and tell us, how do you feel about the reunion?_

_Geoff: It will be so sweet to see all of my awesome party friends again, like Duncan, and oh, Harold better watch out for Courtney, that chick's got one nasty bite._

_Drama Deliver: We agree, and we just can't wait. So, what are your views on the unveiled surprise that Chris McLean contains?_

_Geoff: Huh?_

_Drama Deliver: What do you think the surprise Chris is supposedly going to reveal at the reunion is?_

_Geoff: Oh, knowing McLean, it will be something wickedly awesome. I'm thinking that maybe there will be this awesome party where McLean will announce another scavenger hunt for another case will another 100 grand in it. _

_Drama Deliver: With Chris, anything's possible. Now, let's us go and visit said 'chick with one nasty bite', everyone's favorite Councilor in Training, Courtney._

_Drama Deliver: Hey Courtney, how have you been?_

_Courtney: Didn't you just ask that same question of Party Boy?_

_Drama Deliver: Your point?_

_Courtney: We're all different, you know. We aren't just pawns for you to push around._

_Drama Deliver: No, pushing you around like pawns is Chris's job._

_Courtney: Stupid McLean, letting Harold get away with cheating me out of $100000._

_Drama Deliver: Still touchy about that, are you?_

_Courtney: Duh._

_Drama Deliver: Anyways, what do you think of the reunion?_

_Courtney: I think that it's just another one of McLean's many scams to get paid._

_Drama Deliver: And your opinion on the surprise Chris has yet to unveil?_

_Courtney: Isn't it obvious? He's going to realize that he's going to get the pants sued off of him unless he corrects the wrongs of what Harold did and give me the money._

_Drama Deliver: And speaking of pants off of a guy, how are you and Duncan?_

_Courtney: Fine._

_Drama Deliver: Still together?_

_Courtney: Yes._

_Drama Deliver: Do your parents approve?_

_Courtney: No._

_Drama Deliver: Does his?_

_Courtney: Yes._

_Drama Deliver: What is with your one word answers?_

_Courtney: Screw off._

_Drama Deliver: Well then. Now, let's visit the final camper we were able to contact: the one, the only, Miss Queen Bee, Heather!_

_Drama Deliver: How are you, Heather?_

_Heather: Fine._

_Drama Deliver: How's your hair? Is it growing back?_

_Heather: Fine._

_Drama Deliver: And…?_

_Heather: Yes._

_Drama Deliver: So, we just interviewed two taken campers. Just out of curiosity, do you like anybody?_

_Heather: Yes._

_Drama Deliver: Oh! Who?_

_Heather: Somebody._

_Drama Deliver: Well then. So are you still mad about being kicked off Total Drama Island?_

_Heather: Yes._

_Drama Deliver: Why?_

_Heather: Because._

_Drama Deliver: God! What is with pissed off girls and one word answers?_

_Heather: Screw off._

_Drama Deliver: Funny enough, Courtney said the same thing._

_Heather: Courtney? You interviewed her? How is she?_

_Drama Deliver: Courtney, yes we did, and apparently fine. But aren't we supposed to be the ones asking the questions? And why did you suddenly get interested in this interview?_

_Heather: So, um, is she still with…Duncan?_

_Drama Deliver: Yes. And why do you care…Oh, god, I know where this is going._

_Heather: No, you don't. Believe me, you don't._

_Drama Deliver: I bet I do._

_Heather: I bet you don't._

_Drama Deliver: I bet I do._

_Heather: I bet you freaking don't._

_Drama Deliver: You like –_

_Heather: Anyway, aren't you going to ask what I think about McLean's reunion and what I think the surprise is?_

_Drama Deliver: I said I'm the one asking questions!_

_Heather: Thanks for asking. I think that McLean is up to something; he wouldn't hold a reunion to gather everyone together just out of the love from the bottom of his heart. Not that I think he even has one. _

_Drama Deliver: Of course he's up to something. That's who Chris is._

_Heather: McLean will be getting something out of this, money or fame or something. Just you watch._

_Drama Deliver: Thank you, Heather._

_And there you heard it. There will, in fact, be a reunion of epic proportions, filled with love, hate, jealousy, angst, and of course, drama. Stay tuned in to find out more, and remember, Drama Deliver is the one magazine you can rely on to get the latest, the greatest, the shocking drama. _

Izzy was silent for a couple seconds, her eyes glazed over, unseeing. A smile that didn't quite reach her eyes appeared on her face. She twitched. It appeared as if she was any other normal girl, eagerly waiting for the reunion, but on the inside a small war was being fought by her emotions all wanting to be heard.

Anger: A reunion? How could that freaking sadistic host have a reunion? It'll probably turn into a chance to hunt down another 100 thousand and when we finally find the case, it will explode!

Miserable: Hadn't Izzy already suffered enough? Hadn't her life already been changed enough?

Frustration: When will McLean catch a clue that he's not wanted?

But underneath all these emotions, Izzy found emotions she hadn't felt in a while.

Eagerness: Izzy wanted the reunion to arrive. She was missing part of herself; she felt incomplete. Maybe her life would be changed enough by the reunion to never be normal again. And, surprisingly, Izzy missed her friends.

_The last time Izzy felt eager…_

…_was when she got the letter saying that she made Total Drama Island. Izzy remembered…_

…_that she had jumped up and down when the plump letter had fallen into her hands. She tore open the letter and read the first line, the first word…_

'_Congratulations!' Izzy was ready for change. Ever since the Accident, her life has been as close to as normal as possible thanks to Mr. Wright, her guardian. He, for some reason, felt that Izzy wanted normality after the accident. _

Izzy felt her legs shake.

Hope: Why was she feeling hope? Because she thought that this might be the one thing to get her life back to its normal chaos. Because her heart fluttered at the thought of meeting her friends again?

_The last time Izzy was hopeful…_

…_was at the Hospital. No one knew what it was originally called; everyone now just calls it the Hospital. Izzy was just 14 years old and she was standing next to one of the cots in the Emergency Room. She had asked the doctor, "Will they be okay?" The doctor replied…_

"_Possibly…"_

_Jus that one word had filled up Izzy's heart so much she started crying, and she doesn't cry that often. Hope bubbled up like the fizz of a soda…_

'No! That wasn't the last time I felt hope, felt that pure happiness with a shadow of doubt!' Izzy thought to herself, unaware that her knees had hit the sidewalk for the second time that day. 'I was happy the first time I met Owen away from the cameras…'

* * *

"_So you're Isabeau?" _

_That would be Owen, the large, cheerful blob of food. Izzy smiled._

"_Izzy."_

"_Oh. I'm Owen, and I like food."_

_Izzy laughed and handed Owen some of Chef's 'food' she had swiped from lunch. Owen happily ate the food and then bear hugged Izzy._

"_Izzy, do you have a boyfriend?"_

"_Nope."_

"_Will food-girl Izzy be mine?"_

"_Your boyfriend?"_

"_No silly, my girlfriend!"_

"_Sure!" _

_Then they proceeded to make out. _

* * *

That wasn't hope. I was attracted to Owen because he was like a drug to me, a light to a moth. His happiness made me forget my depression…' Izzy thought. 'And, as much as I hate to admit it, even to my crazy self, maybe I wanted someone to mess with, so someone else could feel some degree of pain I had endured for the past two years…'

Izzy winced. She was going to break up with Owen. She couldn't toy around with him anymore. It was fun, but nothing more than that.

Izzy looked up from the magazine; her eyes, previously unfocused, were sharper than normal, yet fuzzy. Izzy could see the blotches of tears that had splattered onto the magazine. Izzy looked up from the magazine into the concerned face off a complete stranger.

"Don't worry; she just found out her crush celebrity Dustin Beaver **[3]** was injured in a fatal car crash," Mickey was reassuring the strangers that had gathered around the girl, crying silently on her knees.

With that, the strangers started walking away; apparently that was enough of an answer.

"Izzy, Isabeau, my Beau, who died?" Mickey meant it as a joke, but the joke struck the nail on the head.

"Don't! They didn't need to die!" Izzy whispered.

Izzy jumped to her feet. She glanced at her fingers, the knuckles white in fear, the fingers red in anger, still clutching the _Drama Deliver_. She called forth her strength within and ripped the magazine in half. She threw the magazine on the ground in disgust and darted away from the prying eyes of the public.

Mickey, she would have to explain later. Even though he knew that she was on Total Drama Island (besides her guardian and other RCMP agents, no one in the city or houses surrounding the city knew that the famous psychopath Izzy lived amidst them), he didn't know the specific details surrounding the Accident. Actually, all he knew was that something happened to Izzy at age 14 and she had been different since.

Izzy wasn't paying attention to where she was running to. Businesses flew by, only as blurred streaks of color… a pale yellow, most likely the gift shop… a baby blue, probably the dentist's office…a giant chocolate brown, definitely the chocolate bar factory. Street names jumped out from the street signs, went in though one eye and out through the other.

_Main Street…_

_South Park…_

_Seagull Harbour…_

_West Drive…_

_East Drive…_

Izzy was so confused, so lost, by the time she stopped running; she could have been on the street she started on and not known. She looked up at the conveniently placed street sign.

'Main Street. This damn city has, like, 10 Main Streets. Every freaking city has a Main Street.' Izzy was silently screaming at herself.

Izzy looked right. All she saw was a line of little wannabe shops all lined up in a green row and a vast shopping mall. Izzy read the signs, hoping she'd recognize one, but didn't. She frowned. Aunty Barber's Salon (a funky little shop, green with pink stripes), Rusty Bucket Repair Shop (a building with a giant wrench on top, painted a green-grey), Snake Eyes: Gamboling (which was where you could 'legally' gamble at, a dirty looking, puke coloured, trash filled building), and May Bee Dime's mall **[4]**, (an enormous mall lime green wall with multiple wings like a movie theater and Cold Topic **[5]**). None of them ring a bell.

Izzy looked left. It was a giant graveyard…Izzy gasped, but then took a closer look. What she had taken for tombstones were actually parts of cars, the pile of dirt a pile of junk. It wasn't a graveyard; it was a junkyard.

Izzy giggled, as a sudden thought struck her.

"Well," she laughed out loud, "it a graveyard. It's a graveyard for junk."

Curious, forgetting the fact that she was lost and alone in a city nearing nighttime, Izzy changed directions, heading for the graveyard/junkyard.

Izzy looked up. There was a faded sign above the gate, with graffiti written underneath.

"McKeon's…Car-Bags…Stop?" Izzy asked out loud.

"McKeon's Garbage Drop-off…"

Izzy looked around. But no one was there. She was sure she heard someone answer back to her. She wasn't crazy enough to be hearing voices, was she?

Beneath the faded McKeon's sign, someone had written in bright (blood-red, Izzy thought) spray-paint, _'The Junkyard'_.

Izzy smiled, liking the name the Junkyard. She opened the gate, which creaked as it opened and shut without a sound, and started wondering around. Izzy marveled at the vast amount of treasure and trash in the Junkyard.

After walking for about half a minute, Izzy stopped and stooped down, then stood up holding a lime green container. It's approximately two inches high, a bright red with silver vines running along the sides, and a hinge. Izzy noticed the hinge and opened it. There was a button, which Izzy didn't hesitate to press. A little flame flickered into existence. Izzy stared into the flame something in the flame: an image of two adults, a blonde female with blue eyes and a red-haired male with blue eyes.

Izzy yelped and dropped the lighter. Someone behind her snickered.

"Aw, did the little flame burn the little girl?" the voice asked in a mocking voice.

Izzy, acting on habit, spun around and karate-chopped the speaker right in the nose.

"Ow! Seriously, what the hell?" he gasped.

Izzy giggled. "Aw, did the little girl burn you?"

She offered the guy her hand, which he smiled and took.

"You're pretty quick on your feet."

"Thank you." Izzy smiled.

The guy stared at her, puzzled. Izzy frowned.

"Normally, when someone says 'thank you', you say 'you're welcome' or 'how is your mother?'" Izzy growled.

"How's your mother?" the guy repeated in confusion.

"Oh, she's fine, thanks for asking!" Izzy giggled.

"Okay, okay. You're welcome. I'm Mike."

"Isabeau, but call me Izzy."

"Isa-beautiful."

Izzy rolled her eyes, but smiled. "You don't know how many times I've heard that."

"Well, excuse me. Anyway, what are you doing out here?"

"I could ask the same of you."

"No you couldn't, because I _own _this place. McKeon's Garbage Drop-Off belonged to my dad, but now it's mine."

"Well, excuse me."

They both laughed, and then Mike started staring at her again.

"No offense or anything, but it's kinda creepy, the way you keep staring at me," Izzy said.

Then Mike said something Izzy didn't ever want to hear from a stranger: "You look familiar."

Izzy growled, and then shouted, "No I don't! Can't you all just leave me alone? It isn't my fault! Blame McLean!"

"McLean…Chris McLean…Oh, my god. You're Izzy!" Mike gasped. Izzy gasped too, and she started running again.

This is what Izzy's been doing for the past month: running. She doesn't know why; all that she knows is that if she stays with someone long enough to befriend them, they'd recognize her from that infernal show. Or they'd be killed, like the people she loved most had been two years ago…

Maybe this is what prompted Izzy to finally ask for directions, return home like she had so many other times she's run away, and finally look at Homeschool's letter. Maybe Izzy was so tired of hiding that she took the chance to befriend someone like Homeschool, just so she didn't have to pretend. No one knows except Izzy, and no one's willing to ask her.

All that we know is that she returned back to her home, accepted the letter from Mr. Wright, who was waiting, as always, at the dining room table, and climbed up to her tree house. There, she read the letter and smiled. She wrote back…

* * *

_Dear Homeschool, _

_I don't know what caused me to finally read your letter, but I did. Thank you for writing._

_I just wanted to say that I do, kind of, forgive you. You didn't know any better, did you? But I was wondering…Where did you pick up that girls were weaker than guys, and why? _

_Homeschool, what kind of consequences have you been having because of Total Drama Island. I'm curious because I've been having some problems too. I can't get to friendly with anyone or else they'd recognize who I am, and then they'd be all paparazzi on me. Maybe that's why I wrote back to you. I don't have to pretend anything around you, because you know exactly what I'm going through. _

_Also, Homeschool, I just saw the latest issue of Drama Deliver. And guess what was on the cover? Total Drama Island. Homeschool, there is going to be a reunion of the cast, and if I know McLean, he's got something up his sleeve. I'll include a copy of the magazine. I'm just warning you, watch out. On a different note…_

_Homeschool, I do remember you. And it's not just of the sexist homeschooled boy. I remember you jumping off that cliff…Do you remember that? I remember you getting all those boxes to the beach…Do you remember that? I do, Homeschool, I do…_

_Of course it's me. Izzy_

_P.S. You can call me whatever you'd like._

_P.P.S. You might want to work on your crossing out technique. It needs improvement._

* * *

**[1] **The Ace of Spades **is copyrighted by cometsgirl.**

**[2] **Hershay's Chocolate** is copyrighted by cometsgirl. **Hershey's Chocolate **is not owned by cometsgirl. **

**[3] **Dustin Beaver **is copyrighted by cometsgirl. **Justin Beiber **is not owned by cometsgirl.**

**[4] **May Bee Dime's **is copyrighted by cometsgirl. **JC Penny's **is not owned by cometsgirl.**

**[5] **Cold Topic **is copyrighted by cometsgirl. **Hot Topic **is not owned by cometsgirl.**

**If you want to use **The Ace of Spades**,** Hershay's Chocolate**,** Dustin Beaver**,** May Bee Dime's**,** or Cold Topic**, just PM me. **

**Well…I finally finished it. Do you like it? Do you hate it? I personally think it's better than the previous chapter, but that's just my opinion. I need yours!**

**None of you all suggested an author/story for me to advertise, so I'll advertise the person who added **Dear Isabeau** to their favorite story list, added me to their favorite author list and to their author alert list, and reviewed…. **Athulis! WOO!

**Now it's time for the story advertisement brought to you by Ezekiel….Story Pencils!**

Zeke: Have you ever wanted to write a story but you didn't have a pencil? Well, now you can go and buy a Story Pencil…Wait, that's just stupid. Can I leave now?

**Tada!**

**Also, I'd like to remind you all that this story is still **Dear Isabella; **I just changed the name Isabella to Isabeau. Why? Because I can. See previous chapter for more reasons.**

**As to the questions about the reunion you might be having…**

**Yes, I will, in fact, be having the reunion, but that will happen after **Dear Isabeau **is finished because the reunion will be like the prologue to my next story. **

**Remember the three R's…**

**Read – my story**

**Review – my story**

**Recommend – your story or another story or yourself or another author to be posted at the bottom of my chapters**

**I leave you with these questions…**

**What is the Accident? Does Izzy really forgive Ezekiel? Why did Ezekiel write in the first place? What will happen at the reunion? And why do I keep asking questions like Chris McLean? Find out soon, or not, in **Dear Isabeau**!**

**See you soon, or not. **

**L8rs, cometsgirl**


	3. Chicken Nuggets

**Dear Isabeau**

**Guess what? I. Am. Back! From the dead…! (But not really.)**

**My undying thanks to **RedJaybird **for adding **Dear Isabeau, **to their **Favorite Stories List **and their **Story Alert subscription**.**

**To **John Morison Invades TDI**: First off, nice username. Second off, thanks. :)**

**To **Athulis**: Once again, I must thank your generosity. And there is a greater chance of a whale eating, say, Pres Obama, than a meteor hitting anytime soon. But I appreciate your concern. :D**

**I do not own Total Drama Island, or Total Drama Action, or any of the characters. I also do not own McDonald's. I do own this story, Jet, Whitney, and Drama Deliver.**

**Okay, I'll be the first to admit, I cannot for the life of me do a Canadian accent like the Ezekiel on TDI and TDA, or even like Necro can. So, excuse me if Ezekiel doesn't match the Canadian accented teen on TDI. Eh.**

**Chapter 3: Chicken Nuggets**

* * *

The first rays of the morning sun illuminated the brunette boy's room unlike any lamp could. The light snuck its way into every crevice of his bedroom, lighting up the furthest corners and darkest shad_o_ws. The boy didn't notice; he was too busy dreaming, or should I say, remembering the incident, his Incident. It was colored betrayal, with hints of anger and lies mixed in. The Incident changed his life, changed his father's. It was a lesson taught; unfortunately, it was the wrong lesson. The brunette boy would live for the next six years believing what his father told him: that it was his job, being the male that he is, to care for the women because they are too weak and daft to know what the right thing is, that women need looking after, that they would easily flitter from one male to another, if only because they're too slow, too daft, to know not too. Ezekiel, however, soon learned that his father was wrong. He was brought jarringly to reality, to the truth, and he hasn't trusted his father since. Ezekiel always wondered: how could one mistake, one insignificant detail, change his life so much? He twisted and turned in discomfort, struggling to wake himself up before the inevitable end.

He remembered…

* * *

_A young boy, no older than 10 years old, was running around a park, his wild brown hair blown every which way by the wind. A golden leaf, finally fallen from its tree as days before winter slowly dwindled down to a close, flutters down to the cool sidewalk underneath. The boy looked up from the furry green caterpillar he was examining to watch the leaf slowly drift this way, that way, spiraling down towards its death. He smiled, his teeth flashing in the sunlight, and jumped up. He quickly brushed off the dirt, grass, and twigs that stuck to his clothing. He then dashed off after the leaf, occasionally jumping up to try and grab it. _

_An article from a littered newspaper was carried across his path, and he stuttered to a halt. He picked up the paper, and started reading._

_**Nightmare on Elm Street**_

_**House after house lining Elm Street falls to mysterious fire.**_

_**(PAGE 3)**_

_**Sunday 4 – The rumors are true. Last Thursday, a house along Elm Street, owned by the Smiths, was burned down. When police investigate the crime, they discovered a bottle of gasoline, a match, and a dead body which was conformed not to be a Smith, but rather Randy Handles, a high school dropout that has been reportedly missing for the past three years. It is entirely possible that he has joined one of the many terrorist groups intent on fulfilling the threat promised by the head terrorist Alma Junín: "We shall destroy, brick by brick, house by house, town by town, city by city, nation by nation, this corrupted world that God has created for us." **_

_**This is not the first house to be burned to charred wood and fragments of blackened shingles, and if the terrorists keep to their promise, it will certainly not be the last. Six other families have been left houseless, and that's just on Elm Street. Police desperate to find solutions to these fires have discovered something that every burned down house had in common. We asked the Chief Policeman for more details.**_

_**"Well, as odd as it sounds, none of the houses burnt yet have had someone in them. It's entirely possible that the terrorists want the families to experience what it's like to be homeless, to have no place to call your own. But that is completely useless now, as the region has set up a safe house for these currently homeless families. Volunteer carpenters are rebuilding these families' houses as we speak, so the terrorists have had no lasting effects. Another strange pattern is that these families are of great importance to our government. Well, perhaps, it's not such a strange pattern. The first house to burn was our blessed governor's house. The second and third houses belonged to powerful school board members. Our representatives' houses were quick to follow. If this keeps up, soon everyone of importance will be crowded underneath one roof. A true terrorist's dream come true, and our own nightmare."**_

_**As you can see, this is much more serious that we originally thought, as – (CONTINUED ON PAGE 4: FIRE)**_

_Ezekiel, who had missed most of the point due to the fact that he kept skipping over the longer words, still frowned none the less. He looked up, just in time to see his leaf flutter by. He dropped the newspaper like it was a hot iron and resumed his chase after the leaf._

_Sitting on a nearby bench, Mr. Martin, the head of the school board and Ezekiel's father, opened up the Sunday news, puzzled over the two missing pages, and started reading the headlines. He turned the page, and just as he was about to start the stock market section, he glanced up. Ezekiel, to intent on his leaf to notice his surroundings, was unaware of the upcoming edge. If he fell, he would tumble head over heels down the hill for several minutes. Mr. Martin sighed in humor and exasperation and stood up. He stretched and started strolling down towards Ezekiel, his long legs easily overtaking the young boy's short ones. _

_The leaf fluttered down to within grasping range, and Ezekiel jumped, his hands closing over the crisp newly-fallen leaf. He laughed, and promptly started losing his balance. A pebble fell loose and skid down the hill. Ezekiel was about to follow, when, like a snake, his father's arm hooked around Ezekiel, preventing him from falling. Ezekiel just laughed and squirmed to get free._

_Ezekiel, still clutching the leaf, raced over to grab the newspaper he had previously discarded. He picked it up and brought it back to his father, who quickly scanned the paper. As Mr. Martin neared the end, his face grew ever paler. Finally, he grabbed Ezekiel's hand and started pulling him towards their house._

_"Father, eh, where are we going?"_

_"Not now, Ezekiel."_

_"But Father, where is Mother? Where is Candia?"_

_"She's at some café or another with her friends. Females need the support of one another and us, Ezekiel, to help them. And she's got Candia with her."_

_"Father, is that true? Because there's this one girl I see every now and then, Mai, eh, and she's very independent…"_

_Mr. Martin turned to stare at Ezekiel, without ever stop walking._

_"Ezekiel, you are much too young to be talking with girls like that. I'm sure this Mai girl has many males helping her without your notice. Now come."_

_"But Father –"_

_"Didn't I tell you not to call me Father?"_

_"Well, yes Father."_

_"Was that supposed to be funny, son?"_

_"No, Father, eh."_

_"Ezekiel…" Mr. Martin trailed off. They had arrived at their house, 183 Elm Street._

_Something crashed from inside, and both Mr. Martin and Ezekiel winced. Mr. Martin reached into his coat pocket, pulled out his keys, and inserted them into the lock. He twisted the keys and opened the door. The two people inside gasped._

_Ezekiel's hands fell open with shock and the crushed leaf fluttered to the ground._

* * *

"Ow!"

Ezekiel, present day age, jerked upright and found himself sitting on the floor, wrapped up like a mummy in blankets. After a minute or two of struggling and a couple muttered words, Ezekiel escaped the sheets.

He looked at his nearby clock. It read 8:58 in the morning, later than he normally arrived, and the dawn sunlight was already streaming though his east window. He gasped and jumped up. Olivia, and the mail, came at 9:00 sharp, and if Ezekiel wanted to be there when the letter arrives…

"Wait….what letter, eh? I'm no'ot eager to find a letter, oot of all things, sitting in my mailbox. I'm just happy to, to see Olivia, eh." But no matter how much Ezekiel tried to deny it, he knew he wanted to check to see if there was a white envelope with his name on it.

Careful, as to not wake Father, Willa, or Candia, Ezekiel opened and shut the door. He crept down the hallway, silent as always, and slipped out of the house. He hesitated, shifting from foot to foot; at the gate that led from his driveway to the street, and ultimately the mailbox, strongly aware of how eerily similar this was to the morning he first mailed the letter.

Ezekiel shook his head, as if to remove thoughts about that day, and started walking towards the mailbox, head held high. He arrived there, checked the mailbox, and sighed in disappointment. Olivia hadn't come yet.

Ezekiel was debating on whether or not he should just return to the house and try again in five or ten minutes, or just wait, when speak of the devil, Olivia arrived.

She narrowed her eyes in, Ezekiel was happy to note, suspicion and curiosity, rather than the usual dislike.

"Are you, like, expecting something in the mail, Ezekiel? Because, just because you're famous doesn't mean you'll be getting millions of love notes every day."

Ezekiel frowned, but still asked, "Well, eh, if I doo'nt have millions of letters, I'll settle for one. Do I have any?"

Olivia rolled her eyes but looked at the letters she was holding. She pulled out one, a gray-green envelope with the words EZEKIEL MARTIN printed on the front in big letters and no return address. She handed it to Ezekiel, and continued looking. Eventually, she pulled out a second letter, this time a large manila folder **(you know, those ones with the funny brass clip in the back that report cards sometimes come with. Ya, you know what I'm talking about) **with Homeschool written on it, with Ezekiel's return address sticker underneath it. Olivia raised her eyebrows.

"Hmmm, Mr. Popular, now are you? Suddenly you have two actual letters, not just those spam insult letters you used to get."

"Speaking of which, Olivia, whatever happened to them, eh? They just stopped coming…"

"I've been stopping them for you." Olivia just rolled her eyes again as Ezekiel dropped his jaw. "Don't look at me like that. The post office said it would be the right thing to do, and I'm hoping for a promotion. Besides, well, some of them weren't very nice."

"Um…Well, thank you, eh, Olivia. That means a lot to me. But, maybe you could give me a few. I think I, eh, deserve, I guess, those letters. I mean, what I said was wrong."

Olivia shifted through her letters and grabbed about 13 different letters, all with different colored envelopes and different handwriting. Ezekiel again dropped his jaw, this time with negative disbelief instead of positive disbelief. He numbly accepted all of them.

"There, there, Ezekiel. It's okay. No need to worry. Mother Olivia will always be here for you…" Olivia trailed off. Ezekiel jerked at the word Mother and spilled all of his letters.

Olivia and Ezekiel reached down to pick them up. Olivia was scolding Ezekiel.

"Sheesh, Ezekiel! Sometimes you can be as clumsy as that Tyler guy. Speaking of which, is he still with Lindsay?" Olivia looked at Ezekiel again, but the hint just flew over his head.

"Um…I think he's still with her, but I don't really know those kinds of things…"

With all the letters picked up, they stood up and Olivia dusted herself off. She then handed Ezekiel two more letters and a magazine.

"For your parents, okay Ezekiel?"

Ezekiel nodded, and Olivia left. He went on his way back to his house, balancing the 13 complaints, his two letters, and his parents' two letters and magazine in an unbalanced tower. Somehow he made it back to his house with only minor spillage.

The door was already open, and Candia stood there. Ezekiel smiled over his pile letters, although it might have looked more like a grimace.

Candia Martin was Ezekiel's younger sister and looked more like Mrs. Martin than Ezekiel did. She and his mother both had chocolate-blonde hair and green eyes. Mr. Martin and Ezekiel were the brunettes of the family. She smiled and offered to hold some letters. He gave her the two letters for Mr. and Mrs. Martin and the magazine for them too.

"Hey Candy. What are you doing up so early, eh?"

"Ezek, eh, I could ask you the same thing."

"Well, I was getting the mail, as you can see."

"Yes, I see very well. I see you have, what, eh, 15 letters there all addressed to yourself? I'm betting they aren't love notes or well wishers."

"Funny enough, Olivia said the same thing."

"Olivia?" Candia suddenly perked up. They were close friends. "Oh! How's she doing? Is she still with Brad? How's her work? What did she say? I mean, has she forgiven you?"

"She's fine. I'm not sure, but I don't think so. She got a promotion. She was wondering if I was expecting millions of love notes. And, Candia, I'm not sure if anyone forgives me." With that last sentence, Ezekiel glanced towards the manila envelope with the word Homeschool written on it. He could easily read the return address's name: Izzy Winter. Ezekiel only knew one Izzy.

Candia correctly identified the look and smiled.

"Here, Ezek let me take these letters to Father and Willa. You can go and read those letters of yours. And if you need me to use my awesome ninja skills to hunt someone down, just ask."

Candia had also correctly identified most of those letters as being complaints.

Ezekiel muttered "Thanks" and walked back outside. Since Total Drama Island was over, Ezekiel still needed to get some fresh air. And both he and Candia would be glad to escape Mr. Martin's glances and Willa's outright glares.

Ezekiel followed a little used game trail around his house and about ten feet into the words. There he found his little hideout the same as he left it three days ago. It was formed by two trees naturally bending towards each other, and their branches enwinding to make a little overhead. Ezekiel has been adding blankets and books and personal stuff, like a tuff of his dead pet moose's fur. He settled down in the corner and began to read, starting with the complaints first.

Most were the usual "How-could-you-do-something-so-stupid-you-ignorant-homeschooled-Canadian-brat-you-deserve-to-be-put-in-a-happy-farm." But a few made Ezekiel wince. A fourteen year old girl named Karma wrote that, on her way home from the movies, she was attacked by her own parents. Her boyfriend just cowered, while Karma actually fought for her life. Her parents were insane and going to kill their only daughter. Karma had to kill them both. Her message was clear: The male just hid his own face while the female defended their lives. He threw the complaints into a corner of his hideout.

Ezekiel, after struggling through those letters, opened up the gray-green letter. He gasped.

_Dear __EZEKIEL MARTIN,_

_We at Total Drama Agency are pleased to inform you, __EZEKIEL MARTIN,__ about an upcoming reunion located the Camp Wawanakwa, the site of Total Drama Island. A boat will be leaving in two weeks to take you to Camp Wawanakwa, __EZEKIEL MARTIN__. _

_-Total Drama Agency-_

Ezekiel scowled.

"I. Will. Not. Go. Back," he muttered, tearing up the letter into little pieces.

He then looked over towards the other letter for him, the manila folder with the word Homeschool written across it. He smiled; he had a pretty good idea who this letter was from.

Ezekiel opened the folder and pulled out a magazine, _Drama Deliver_, and a letter. He read the letter, which was in fact, from Isabeau.

He didn't know how to respond. She seemed just like the Izzy from Total Drama Island, jumping from one topic to the next, but something seemed off. She was the same wild girl, but…

He frowned at the mention of the reunion, but he was happy that Izzy would be there too. That's when he remembered the magazine. He opened it up and flipped towards the section about Total Drama Island. He was angry, of course, but not as angry as he would've been if Izzy hadn't told him about it. He was about to close the magazine, when he noticed another, smaller, section about the cast of Total Drama Island. It was one of those "Where Are They Now?" sections that had a bunch of random information about the campers.

Owen weighs approximately 296 pounds, for instance.

Heather has a long-term goal of ruling Europe.

Or, say, Izzy lives half an hour away from Ezekiel.

This bit of news made Ezekiel almost drop the magazine again. Suddenly, doors opened up that were previously closed. The possibilities were endless. But first…Ezekiel pulled out a pen and some paper. He needed to write a reply to Isabeau.

But what?

Ezekiel didn't know how to respond to Isabeau. Did he tell her how close they lived, or would that be stalker-ish? For now, Ezekiel put the pen down. He would think about it, and then he would respond.

"Ezek, how are you?"

Ezekiel looked towards the entrance to find his sister, Candia.

"Fine, eh."

"How were the letters?"

"Fine, eh."

"So, what were they about?"

"One was an invitation, or rather, eh, a demand, that I attend a reunion of the campers. The boat's going to pick me up in two weeks…"

Someone swore. Both Candia and Ezekiel turned towards the entrance. A tall woman with bright green eyes and brown-blonde hair stood behind Candia.

"Hello, Willa," Candia greeted in a cold voice, before she tried to leave. Willa blocked her way.

"Stay, Candia, Ezekiel. I want you to know that your father and I are going to be away for two days on a home economics study trip, in about five days from now. Candia, maybe you could spend the night with a friend, and Ezekiel…maybe you could stay with Candia?"

Ezekiel shook his head and answered, "No. I might be able to stay with a friend, eh."

Both Willa and Candia stared in shock at Ezekiel, who just mouthed "Later" towards Candia.

"Well, then, I'm glad that's all settled. I'm cooking pancakes in the kitchen, if you would like –" Willa began, before Candia interrupted.

"No. I'm going over to a friend's house. I need to get going. Later, Ezek." With that, Candia walked out of Ezekiel's club.

Willa turned towards Ezekiel with a hopeful expression on her face. Ezekiel shook his head and said, "I'm going to go walking. I'll be back before dinner."

Then he picked up Isabeau's letter and the magazine and walked past her, pretending to ignore her hurtful face.

Ezekiel didn't lie; he was actually going for a walk. First, he went back to his room and hid both the letter and the magazine. Then he changed his clothes into something no one would recognize him in: black jeans and a black hoodie. You see, very much like Izzy, and probably any of the other campers who didn't want to be noticed, if Ezekiel wanted to walk around town without anyone recognizing him, he'd have to go in disguise. With a last glance back at his room, Ezekiel grabbed a pair of black sunglasses and walked out of the house.

Ezekiel was walking towards the town, which was about a mile away, for only a couple minutes, when somebody joined him. Ezekiel looked over: it was a guy with navy blue hair and navy blue eyes. Ezekiel raised his eyebrows at the guy's hair, like he'd seen many other teens do, but knew better than to comment on it. He, at least, wouldn't be making that mistake a second time.

"Jet, dude."

"Joey."

"Sweet."

Ezekiel was getting nervous; this was his first test. So far, this Jet already believed Ezekiel's first white lie, but only time will tell if he's going to be discovered.

"So, dude, why are you walking with me?"

When Jet looked over at Ezekiel, an odd look on his face, Ezekiel mentally slapped himself. _Stupid, stupid! _

"Why not, J? And nice shades."

"Um, thanks Jet. So where you headed?"

"The City, same place as you I bet."

"Yeah, eh."

Ezekiel smiled on the inside; this was going better than he thought. If he had known it was this easy interacting with other teens, he would have left the house much sooner.

"So, what're you plans for the day?"

"I'm not sure, dude. It's only, what, ten?" Ezekiel answered.

"Good point, man, very good point."

Ezekiel was reminded of Geoff, the party animal. Another smile.

"What're your plans?"

"Nothing really. I'm just cruising, maybe going to pick up a chick somewhere."

Ezekiel looked up; they had arrived at the City. **(Not Izzy's city, just a different city. But their two cities are 30 minutes apart.) **The time flew by when you had someone to talk with, even if you talked about nothing important.

"So now where?" Ezekiel asked.

"Dude, I was hoping you knew!"

Jet laughed, and Ezekiel, sensing it was the right thing to do, joined in.

"Okay, dude, okay," Jet laughed. "Let's head towards the mall. There'll be plenty of chicks there."

"But I'm not hungry," Ezekiel protested.

"Uh…What?"

"Well, you said there were plenty of chicks at the mall, but I don't want to eat chicken right now."

Jet laughed again. "Oh, you were making a joke."

Ezekiel, still puzzled, changed the subject pretty quick.

"So how old are you?"

This earned another odd look from Jet, and another mental slap from Ezekiel.

"Are you new here? Like, did you just move in?" Jet wondered.

"Uh…No – Yeah, yeah I did. Family business, that kind of stuff, eh."

"No wonder; you seemed a little off. You see, in the City, we all be friends. When some dude or dudette walks with you, you don't question it. Just like you don't start asking random questions like age, or address. People are quick to jump to conclusions, you know. Chances are, you probably won't be seeing them again, Joey, chances are you probably won't be seeing me again."

"Oh," said Ezekiel, feeling very stupid.

"But, just so you know, I'm 17."

"Oh."

"Hey look," Jet pointed, "we've arrived at the mall!"

Ezekiel did look, and what he saw made his heart skip a beat. Whitney and her clones were gathered about at the entrance. Apparently Jet saw them too.

"Okay, Joey, that girl, with the pink hair and blue eyes, is Whitney."

"How do you know her?"

"Well, me and her have had an on/off relationship until she dumped me about a month ago." Jet laughed. "I wouldn't want to get on her bad side, if I were you."

"Uh…thanks."

"Hey Whitney!" Jet called out to her. "Come here! There's someone I'd like you to meet."

"No! I mean, uh, really, eh, there's no need…"

But it was too late; Whitney already heard and was walking towards them. Her clones surprisingly lingered at the entrance instead of following her.

"Hey Jet. How's life?"

"You know: same old, same old. You?"

"Ha, wire is what it is."

"Wire?" Ezekiel whispered to Jet.

"Crazy," he whispered back.

"So, Jet, you said you had someone you wanted me to meet?" Whitney asked.

"Yep!" answered Jet. "His name's Joey, but you can call him J."

"Hey Whitney." Ezekiel tried to keep the quiver out of his voice. She was going to recognize him, he knew it.

Much to his surprise, Whitney just smiled and responded, "Hey J. You new here? You look pretty familiar. Oh, and nice shades."

Ezekiel stared down at his shoes, but looked up at Whitney behind his shades after Jet gave him a sharp, subtle elbow.

"Yeah, I just moved here. Family business, that kind of stuff. And I get that a lot."

"So Whitney, what are you doing here?" Jet asked, trying to get her attention.

This question seemed to flutter around Whitney's head, as if she's been asking herself that question too.

"Uh, it's the mall. I'm just, you know, looking. Not for a certain person, of course! Just at the clothing, and shoes, and sports gear, and, and shoes…Don't look at me like that."

Ezekiel decided it was time to test his disguise, and test the waters: "Were you looking for Ezekiel?"

Joey and Whitney both turned to look at him, Whitney with a look of shock on her face that clearly said "Holy shit, how'd you know?" and Jet with a look of warning that plainly said "Back off dude, this is not a good topic."

"Hey, uh, Whitney," Jet tried to change the subject, "did you see those beast new footballs –"

But Whitney wasn't having any of it. "No, Jet. It's okay. So, J, where did you hear of Ezekiel?"

Thinking fast, Ezekiel answered, truthfully I add, "My sister's friends with his mail-girl, Olivia, and she hears things."

"Like what?"

"Well, I heard you dumped a bottle of ho'ot pink dye in his hair, eh, and –"

Whitney grabbed Jet's and Ezekiel's arm. "Let's walk."

Jet just smiled and winked at her.

"Okay, J. Tell me everything you know about Ezekiel."

"Um…Let's see...He has brown hair –"

"Chocolate brown hair, wild creamy chocolate brown hair," interrupted Whitney.

"Yeah…and dark grey eyes –"

"Like the dark clouds before a thunderstorm," interrupted Whitney.

"I'm no'ot going to be able to tell you everything if you doo'nt stop interrupting," warned Ezekiel.

"Continue, dude," Jet pressed.

"I know he was your best friend, Whitney, until Total Drama Island happened. I know he made some mistakes on Total Drama Island and made more enemies, most of which resulted from his sexist comments."

Whitney sighed, while Jet whistled: "I didn't watch TDI, but I've heard of it. I didn't know that homeschooled brat was the same Ezekiel on it."

Whitney slapped Jet, not hard enough to hurt, but enough to get the message across: "Ezekiel is not a brat, Jet. Yes, Ezekiel was on Total Drama Island but was the first to leave. Look, we've arrived at a McDonald's. Let's eat."

Jet and Ezekiel did look, and they had in fact arrived at the restaurant. They walked in and headed towards a table in the back. If Ezekiel noticed that Jet sat next to him so Whitney wouldn't, he didn't comment.

"Okay, Jet, J, what do you want? It's on me. And don't you even think of protesting!"

While Jet was quick to order a hamburger, Ezekiel was having a bit more of a struggle.

"Um, what do they have here at this…? McDonald's?"

Whitney and Jet looked at each other, a look of concern on their faces.

"Yes, he's definitely new here alright," Jet said.

"And he was probably dropped on his head when he was born," Whitney added, but the twinkle in her eyes made Ezekiel realize she was joking. Or at least, Ezekiel hoped she was, and that twinkle wasn't the sun glaring off his sunglasses.

"Don't worry, J, I'll get you something that'd you like. Just stay here." Whitney walked towards the counter. Jet turned towards Ezekiel as soon as she was out of hearing range.

"That was beast, J."

"What?" Ezekiel asked.

"She was soooooo flirting with you, you couldn't tell?"

"I thought she liked Ezekiel."

"Doesn't mean she can't flirt with you."

"Oh…eh."

"And about Ezekiel," Jet warned, "I wouldn't keep mentioning him. That's a touchy subject for her."

"Got it."

"You got what, J?" Both boys looked up to see Whitney standing there holding a tray with three bags filled with, hopefully, food. "Cause I'm gonna get the bill, in a minute, or two…maybe…"

"Nothing, Whitney. Why don't you sit down?" Jet lied smoothly.

Whitney sat down across from Jet and Ezekiel and started handing out the food. Jet received his hamburger while Whitney herself ordered a salad. Ezekiel opened up his box and found a bunch of oddly shaped brown things sitting in it.

"What are these, eh?" Ezekiel asked. Whitney and Jet laughed, before they realized he was being serious. Whitney answered, in a calm pre-school teacher voice, "These, Joey, are called chicken nuggets. If you bread a chicken and deep fry it, you get these. They are really good."

Ezekiel, still looking uncertain, took a bite out of one. He immediately spat it out in disgust.

Whitney and Jet started laughing so hard, soda came out of Jet's nose. Ezekiel sat there, smiling on the inside and outside. He had friends. Sure, they didn't know who he really was, but they were his friends, none the less.

"That was disgusting, eh!" Ezekiel wiped his mouth with hand. "You said they are good?"

Whitney sighed in fake exasperation. "J, they are good if you're a normal person."

"So I guess that doesn't apply to ya'll?" Ezekiel shot back.

Joey and Whitney started laughing again, and Ezekiel joined in. He should celebrate; it was the first joke he's told that people laughed at. One word echoed around his head: _Friends, friends, friends._

"Joey told a joke! It's a miracle!" Jet shouted.

"Maybe you should try going vegetarian, like I am!" Whitney added.

"Shades! Navy! Miss Bubblegum Hair! Keep it down will you?"

Whitney, Jet, and Ezekiel looked over towards one of the many filled tables that were staring at them. A McDonald's worker walked up, sheet of paper in hand and a disapproving look on her face.

"Excuse me," she scolded in a New York accent, "but we've had several complaints about the noise you all have been making. Also, I don't believe you've paid your bill, Mister, Mister, and Miss."

Whitney and Joey looked at each other then Ezekiel. Finally, Joey grabbed Ezekiel's wrist, and Whitney shouted, "Run!"

She and Joey bolted for the door before anyone could stop them, pulling the unfortunate Ezekiel behind. They ran, turning down street after street, following Whitney, who was seemingly running in random directions, for about ten minutes. Finally they gasped to a halt, on the same street, Ezekiel noticed, as his house. What a coincident...

"Guys…Let's split, okay…?" panted Jet, his face red with excitement and lack of breath.

"Got it! See you later, Joey, J." Whitney smiled, her eyes twinkling, and walked down the road.

"Yeah, later J," Jet waved and walked the opposite way than Whitney. Ezekiel smiled and waved back, whispering "Good bye, eh…Friends" even though they couldn't hear him.

Ezekiel returned to his house to find Candia sitting on the door step waiting for his return.

"Ezekiel, there you are! Wait…you are Ezekiel right?" Candia asked.

Ezekiel laughed, pulled off his shades, and pulled down his hoodie. "Yes Candia, 'tis is I."

Candia stared, clearly shocked. "Ezekiel…You…You…"

"Yes…?"

"You…laughed!" Candia stated, shocked. Ezekiel groaned.

"So what are you doing here Candy?"

"Waiting for you!"

"Why?"

"I have some questions."

"Sure."

"First off, where were you for the past four hours?"

"What time is it?" asked Ezekiel, surprised.

"Nearly two!" growled Candia.

"I was with friends, hanging at the mall and eating McDonald's and running from the law because we didn't pay the bill."

"What friends?"

"A guy I met today named Jet and Whitney."

"He talked to you even though it would lower his reputation? _She _talked to you?"

"Well, I wasn't exactly who they thought I was…"

"Who did they think you were?" asked Candia.

"Joey."

"So you lied, hang out with friends at the mall, ate McDonald's, didn't pay the bill, and then ran for your lives?"

"Yes," confirmed Ezekiel. "Exactly."

"MY BROTHER'S NORMAL!" shouted Candia, overjoyed. "OHMIGOD! HE'S NORMAL!"

"_Candia_..." sighed Ezekiel, but happy nonetheless.

"Another question...You told Willa," Candia made a disgusted face at her name, "that you might be able to stay with a friend. Did you mean that guy Jet or even Whitney? Cause you said you'd explain later and later is now."

"You watched Total Drama Island, right? Well, there was this one girl, a redheaded, green-eyed, wild child…Isabeau? Izzy?"

"Your point?"

"Well, she – I mailed her a letter about a week ago, and she answered back. She lives only half an hour away."

"You don't mean…"

"I do."

"That's great, Ezekiel!"

"Speaking of which, I need to go and ask her. Laters, Candy." Ezekiel walked into the house and was about to enter his room when Candia shouted, "Since when do you say 'laters'?"

Ezekiel laughed and reached for his pen. He had a reply.

* * *

_Dear Isabeau, _

_I'm glad I wrote to you. I thought I was going to go crazy if I didn't have contact with somebody soon, eh._

_And I'm glad you forgive me. You were right, I didn't know any better. Because, eh, of my...father. As to why, it's a long story, but I might be seeing you soon. Maybe…_

_Isabeau, I know exactly what you're talking about. Anyone I befriend immediately turns on me if they realize who I really am. For example, today, I went and spent hours with two friends, at the mall and eating food. The thing is, they thought I was a guy named Joey. They didn't know who I really am. You do._

_Thanks Isabeau for the warning. You want to know a funny thing, eh? I got the invitation, more like a demand, along with your letter and magazine. I appreciate the warning. Speaking of the magazine, eh…_

_Isabeau, did you know you only live half an hour away from me? I saw it in that magazine thing. Which brings me to this question: My father and Willa are leaving on a home economics study trip in five days from today, the 5__th__, and they will be spending two days where ever they are, eh. So, since you only live half an hour away, I was wondering if I could, maybe, possibly, perhaps, might be able to spend the night at your house, if your parents approve, eh? _

_From Ezekiel, eh_

_P.S. I'll try._

_P.P.S. I hope to see you soon, Isabeau._

* * *

**TADA! I finished it. This chapter was much more fun to write, probably because of the entire dialog section.**

**This chapter-ly suggestion, from, **Athulis**, is…. (Where's a drum roll when you need one?)**

Total Drama Academy: Year One **written by **Lord Akiyama**.**

**And for the latest advertisements…McDonald's! Brought to you by Jet and Whitney!**

Jet: McDonald's chicken nuggets are very good, aren't they?

Whitney: You got that right! Just take a look at this photo!

Jet: This is a photo, in case you're blind or you're reading this, of our buddy, Joey spitting out a chicken nugget he ate from McDonald's.

Whitney: Good times, good times…

Jet: See? McDonald's creates fun memories!

Whitney: As long as you remember to pay the bill! It is very important to pay the bill.

Jet: Hypocrite.

Whitney: Say that again.

Jet: Hypocrite.

Whitney: Why you little!

**You see how many amazing memories McDonald's creates? That's why you should go out there and visit your local McDonald's!**

**Now…**

**What is Ezekiel's Incident? Will Izzy say yes? If she does, then what drama will surely unfold? And why is a hamburger called a hamburger if it's made of beef?**

**THE WORLD MAY NEVER KNOW.**

**Stay tuned to find out!**

**L8rs,**

**cometsgirl**


	4. Winter Memories

**Dear Isabeau,**

**Hi, people of FanFiction-land. It is I, cometsgirl. Duh.**

**To my faithful reviewer, **Athulis**: I was so pleased to read your review! I'm glad that someone thinks I've been doing a good job! And I'm glad you think that Ezekiel's accent was up to standards, I try. And you're right. You better watch out for falling meteors, whales, and narwhals. You'll never know with those unicorns of the sea. They're little evil devils. :) **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Total Drama Island, Total Drama Action, Total Drama World Tour, and I'm not just using this disclaimer to add more words to my total. How dare you suggest that?**

**Also, people, I have a new poll up on my profile, and it would mean so much to me if you voted! :)**

**Welcome back, dear readers and reviewers…and other people. How have you been? Take a seat – how about in that nice and cushy red chair over there, by the toasty fire – and let cometsgirl spin you a tale, of a sixteen year old girl, by the name of Isabeau. Of course, she liked to be called Izzy…**

**Chapter 4) Winter Memories**

* * *

"Miss Winters… Are you sleeping?"

Izzy (our red-headed, green-eyed, vine-swinging heroine) sat up in annoyance and rubbed her eyes. She called back, "Yes, I am sleeping, Mr. Wright. That is why I am able to answer your question."

"You're starting to sound more like that cynical Noah more and more every day, Miss Winters."

"Don't remind me. And don't call me 'Miss Winters'. It makes me feel old."

"You are old, Miss Winters. You are approaching the age of seventeen in several months."

Izzy groaned and sat up from her bed. She looked around her tree house; unlike other girls, this is the place she calls home. Sure, there was a rather large house only ten feet away that Mr. Wright, her RCMP guardian, lived in, but this is the place she built by hand with her father. This is the place where her memories really came alive. In the corner were a small wireless television and a mini fridge. There was her bed, a guest bed on the opposite wall, a stand with a lamp, and a bookcase filled with books and DVDs. A small desk with blank paper and pens rested on one wall. There was also other random crap lying around, along with a bunch of clothes. Izzy smiled; this is the place she calls home. She then looked outside and groaned. It was still dark, only 1:30, according to her clock.

"But I'll be sixteen still, by the time that reunion arrives."

"Yes, about that…"

Izzy, sensing that this was semi–important, walked over towards the exit to her tree house and peered down ten feet to see her black haired, black shaded, black suited RCMP guardian standing there.

"Well?" she demanded.

"The boat that will be taking you back to the Isle of Wawanakwa for this reunion will be picking you up again in exactly two weeks."

"How'd you know all this?"

"From this letter," answered Mr. Wright.

"Toss it up."

Mr. Wright rolled his eyes, but sill gently tossed said letter (a lime green in color) up, too gently as a matter of fact; it didn't quite reach Izzy. So Izzy, performing another amazing feat of Izzy-ness, jumped out of the tree house, picked up the falling letter, grabbed a vine, swung around the tree house, leaped off the vine, did a backwards flip, and landed feet first in her tree house.

Mr. Wright (used to these sudden outbursts of impossible tricks) just muttered, "Where'd the vine come from?"

Izzy grinned down at him and read the letter.

_Dear __IZZY WINTERS,_

_We at Total Drama Agency are pleased to inform you, __IZZY WINTERS,__ about an upcoming reunion located the Camp Wawanakwa, the site of Total Drama Island. A boat will be leaving in two weeks to take you to Camp Wawanakwa, __IZZY WINTERS__. _

_-Total Drama Agency-_

Izzy winced at the obvious fill in the blank letter, but was unsurprised. She knew this was coming. She suddenly cackled. No one, except her and hopefully Ezekiel, knew this was coming. She could imagine how everyone else was reacting to this bit of interesting information.

"Okay, then Mr. Wright, but what's with the other letter in your hand?"

"Nothing escapes your notice, does it?"

"You're avoiding the question. And the answer to that question is yes. I notice everything. I noticed that your tie is the dark grey striped tie you wore on last Tuesday. I noticed that your shades have a crack in the corner that you might want to get looked at. I noticed that –"

"Izzy, calm down. This is a letter from… your fellow contestant. Ezekiel–"

"Homeschool!" Izzy exclaimed in excitement. "Give it here!"

"Uh…" Mr. Wright said in amazement, but Izzy had already jumped down and snatched the letter from his hand.

"Izzy…" Mr. Wright began, but Izzy quickly hushed him.

A bunch of random thoughts, brought on because of the letter, echoed around in Izzy's head.

'_I know exactly what you mean, Homeschool.'_

'_You spent hours with friends? Friends? You have friends?'_

'_Designer shades, just to hide your face…'_

'_You got the letter too?'_

"We what!" Izzy yelled in shock, unaware she said it out loud.

"What's wrong, Miss Winters?" Mr. Wright asked.

"I said that out loud, didn't I?" sighed Izzy.

"You did," confirmed Mr. Wright.

"Homeschool…Ezekiel…and I live only half an hour apart!"

"Can you say coincident?" Mr. Wright asked.

Izzy nodded, appearing calm, but she was squealing with joy on the inside. She was only thirty minutes away from someone she didn't have to pretend to be someone else.

"Yeah…It is… Mr. Wright, what are we doing the fifth, three days from today?"

"Uh…Hmm…Nothing."

"Then you might want to get prepared. We're having a guest over!"

Mr. Wright raised his eyebrows, but asked in a calm voice, "Who is this guest you speak of?"

"Homeschool!" Izzy shouted.

"Who?"

Izzy calmed down and rolled her eyes. "My fellow contestant, Ezekiel Martin, is going to be coming here in three days and spending the night. Do. You. Understand?"

"Says who?"

"Says me!"

Mr. Wright just sighed at his bipolar charge. "I'll get prepared."

"Yeah! Slumber party!" Izzy grabbed a random vine hanging down and started climbing it. She jumped into her tree house and pulled out her recently purchased laptop. She sat down and opened Word.

_Dear Homeschool,_

_Guess what? Slumber party! You can come over on the tenth, three days from today, and spend the night!_

Izzy stopped. She didn't know how to express her joy, her doubt, her feelings. She didn't know how to continue. She looked back at her clock, 2:07, and yawned. With the thought of putting the letter of until the morning, Izzy crawled back into bed and dreamed. Maybe it was because of her eagerness to see another contestant, or something she ate, but Izzy dreamed a happy memory. It was that night, long after the cameras were put away, after the first challenge, when Gwen, Beth, LeShawna, Lindsay, Heather, and Izzy were all talking and getting to know each other. There, some things were said that wouldn't ever be repeated, and initial friendships were formed that wouldn't ever amount to anything.

* * *

"_So Ezekiel's gone, huh?" _

_Izzy peered over the edge of her top bunk bed to see Gwen leaning against her bottom one. Beth and LeShawna were also awake, as were Lindsay and Heather. Izzy grinned; these were the nights she liked, full of revealing secrets and lies and drama. Of course, Izzy wouldn't be telling her secret, no way._

"_Yeah, and it makes me wonder, girl: Who's next?" answered LeShawna._

"_Ethactly, guyth. We need to thick together," Beth lisped._

"_Are you suggesting an alliance?" Heather asked._

"_An alliance would be so incredible, kind of like diving off the empire state building with a homemade parachute! I did that once, but my parachute was broken, but fortunately, I had a soft landing. Well, which turned out to be this really big lady and her poodle, so…" Izzy giggled, chattering away._

"_Sister, do you always talk that much?" LeShawna shook her head._

"_Oh, oh, oh!" gasped Lindsay. "I know this one!"_

_All heads turned towards the blonde._

"_Ummm… Oh yeah, if we form an alliance, can Timmy be with us?"_

"_Thimy?" Beth asked._

"_The guy with the red headband, Tyson," Lindsay said._

"_Do you mean Tyler?" asked Gwen._

"_No, because I don't trust the guys at keeping a secret like this. Once they find out, we would be picked off, one by one," Heather said at the same time._

"_Girl, what's with you?" LeShawna asked._

"_You haven't been very nice…" added Beth._

"_Well, LeShawna, you did throw me off a cliff," answered Heather._

"_I know! It looked so much fun! Next time, LeShawna, can you throw me off a cliff?" Izzy asked._

_Just laughing at Izzy, LeShawna countered, "Well, I wasn't going to lose that challenge, and we ended up winning, so why are you complaining?"_

_Heather seemed to debate something for a bit, before finally admitting, "Yeah, I guess you're right."_

"_So, what do you think of the other campers?" Gwen brought up._

"_Skyler is so handsome and talented…" Lindsay sighed, whilst Beth muttered, "Please tell me thee's talking about Tyler not Thadie…"_

"_I think our team is much better. I mean, who do they have? Twiddle Dee and Twiddle Dumb, that hippie surfer, that bossy CIT, and that man-looking weight-lifting female," Heather snorted._

"_So, that'd be Kasey, Samantha, Bailey, Carol, and Emily?" Lindsay asked._

"_No, no, no! Silly!" Izzy chanted. "Katie, Sadie, Bridgette, Courtney, and Eva!"_

_When the other girls looked at Izzy weirdly, she just shrugged and smiled._

"_I'm not sure, Heather… I think you're right about Sadie and Eva, although Eva does look like she could be a good competitor. But Katie, Bridgette, and Courtney could prove useful…" Gwen mused._

"_Which one's Sadie, again?" LeShawna asked. In answer, Heather puffed out her cheeks and mimicked being slightly overweight. LeShawna shook her head in disapproval, but still laughed._

"_You'll be making a lot of enemies if you act like that, Heather," Gwen said._

"_No matter what I do, I'll be making enemies, Miss Goth Girl," Heather said in reply, while Lindsay said, "I think we should vote off Elliot next time we lose."_

"_You mean Eva?" Izzy asked._

"_Yeah, Eva, the one with the ugly face, I think?" Lindsay answered._

"_I don't know guys, I think she could potentially be useful," Gwen argued._

"_Goth Girl – do you mind if I call you Goth girl – right now she's on the other team, so she isn't doing us much good. And if you're going to wait to form an alliance with her when the teams are merged, then you'll be waiting a long time. You could be gone by then," Heather warned._

"_Is that a threat?" Gwen asked._

_Heather replied, "No, it's a warning that I won't have much control over what the guys do."_

"_Thpeaking of guyth, what do you think of the maleth on the ithland?" Beth asked._

"_Well, let's see… I think Tristan is adorable!" Lindsay repeated again._

"_Yes, Linds, you've already said that," Gwen sighed._

"_I personally think Ezekiel was cute," confessed Izzy. Heather nodded in agreement._

"_He was. Pity he had to go so soon, but that Trent guy obviously likes me. He's pretty cute, too," Heather added. _

_Gwen just sat there and narrowed her eyes. She finally said, "So, besides, Tyler, Ezekiel, and Trent, who else was here?"_

"_Oh, I know!" Lindsay shouted, before the other girls hushed her down. "There's Omar, Giles, TJ, Danny, Handy, Nat, James, and Cole!" _

"_Who?" Izzy asked._

"_I think she means Owen, Geoff, DJ, Duncan, Harold, Noah, Justin, and Cody," Heather said._

"_You remember that kind of thuff?" Beth asked._

"_You got to know your enemies," LeShawna defended Heather._

"_Owen is so cute and loveable; Geoff is a party animal, he'd be fun to hang with; DJ seems nice, I guess; Duncan's pretty beast looking, but he's head over heels for that CIT Courtney –" Izzy stated._

"_Harold is a string bean kind of person, but he means best –" LeShawna added._

"_Noah's that cynical bookworm on our team, right? I doubt he'll be much help –" Gwen wondered._

"_Juthtin is tho handthome! But I doubt he even noticeth me –" Beth sighed._

"_And Cody is cute, I guess, kind of like a lost puppy with his hormones overflowing." Heather finished._

_All six girls started laughing. There was a loud rap on the door, and they heard a boy's distorted voice through the door: "Keep it down! Some of us are trying to sleep!"_

_The girls looked at each other and started laughing again, this time silently. _

"_Okay, okay, so LeShawna, why don't you tell us about yourself?" Gwen quietly asked._

"_Sure thing, hon, but like what?"_

"_Anything… How about your family?"_

"_Well, I have a large family, being me, my two younger brothers, my older brother, my older sister, Ma, and Pa. I also have a cousin, my best cousin, LeShaniqua, who's really cool."_

"_That's nice, LeShawna. I always wondered what it would be like to live in a large family. I'm an only child, but I'm very close to my mother. I think my father thinks very little of me; that kind of makes me sad, but… I try and get over it," Heather signed and admitted. _

"_I'm an only child too! But I'm very cloth to my pigth. My pa ith a little over protective, but my ma ith very friendly. Oh, how I mith my peth!" Beth quietly cried, while Gwen calmed her down._

"_Yeah. I have an amazing mom, and a pretty cool little bro. They've been really supportive of me, and I appreciate that," Gwen said._

"_What about your daddy? I love my daddy!" Lindsay said. _

_There was an awkward moment of silence, until Gwen muttered, "Father's gone."_

"_Oh, Goth Girl, I'm so sorry. Are you okay?" Heather asked and rested her hand on Gwen's shoulder._

"_Don't be!" Gwen snapped, and then sighed, "I'm sorry. It's a sore subject. Anyway, Izzy, tell us about yourself."_

_Izzy mentally winced; she was hoping she wouldn't have to. She finally decided on a semi-truth/lie to tell them._

"_Mother, Father, Brother, Uncle, Grandfather, Great-Grandfather, Great-Grandmother," Izzy stated._

"_Tell uth about them!" Beth pleaded._

"_Mother and Father are away," Izzy said, convincing herself that it was the truth. "My older brother moved out of the house and is an auto-mechanic, and my uncle is…with my parents. My grandfather is still alive and lives down south. My great-grandmother and grandfather died recently, but it's okay. They were old. What about you, Lindsay?"_

_Izzy smiled at all of that. She gave away a bunch of information, but they still knew nothing about her. Gwen narrowed her eyes in suspicion and curiosity at Izzy, as if she knew what Izzy had purposely done, but didn't mention anything._

"_Daddy is simply amazing! He gives me whatever I want! I got a pony for my amazing 'Sweet Sixteen' birthday! Mother is a little worried about me, but I'll be fine! I have an older sister Paula and an even older sister Georgia. Also, I've been to my grand-mommy's house, even though I accidentally burned it down. Twice. But my family is super amazing, and –" Lindsay gushed, before another loud rap came. Another different boy's voice, slightly higher, came: "Keep it down, really! Who knows what McLean has cooked up?"_

_The six girls sighed, with Beth saying "Oh gosh darn it!" and returned to their bunk beds._

"_Well, what will our next move be hon?" LeShawna asked out loud._

"_I still think Eva will helpful," Gwen said._

"_Maybe," Izzy agreed._

_Heather shook her head and said, "Leave Eva to me."_

"_Good night, Heather, Ithy, Gwen, Lindthay, and Leshawna!" Beth said._

"_Yeah, good night, sisters," LeShawna yawned._

"_See you in the morning!" Izzy cheered quietly._

"_Night, Hannah, Lizzy, Bethany, LeQuita, and Greta!" Lindsay butchered their names again._

"_Good night," Heather said._

_Izzy quickly fell asleep, although Heather's words still echoed around in her head: "Leave Eva to me."_

* * *

Izzy woke up to a blinding light, the sun seeping into her tree house through her door she forgot to close, and her memory still on her mind. Izzy had to give Heather credit; she did take care of Eva. Izzy didn't like it though.

"I'm glad she returned, because she was voted off unfairly," Izzy said out loud, before hopping out of bed. Her unfinished letter caught her eye, the ink still slightly wet.

Izzy ignored the letter and instead grabbed some clean clothes, a red tank top and green jeans. After she changed, she walked over towards the tree house door and hopped down.

Looking right, looking left, looking up, and looking down, Izzy couldn't see Mr. Wright. So Izzy snuck of towards the City again.

Everything was so familiar looking but so different. Izzy remembered each building, not only from her previous escape here a couple days ago, but before Total Drama Island. Then, Izzy didn't have to pretend. Now, Izzy hides from everyone. However, this will be one of the last times Izzy comes here before the reunion and whatever else McLean has cooked up. So she was going to have some fun.

First things first, Izzy better go undercover. Unaware that this was exactly what Ezekiel had done not even a couple days ago, Izzy bought a pair of black sunglasses from a convientaetly placed nearby stand. Feeling as if she was a different person, Izzy started walking down the streets, savoring each moment of freedom. But something was missing…  
"A victim! I mean, a friend! Someone I can torture! I mean, talk to!" Izzy whispered loudly, attracting more than a few stares from other pedestrians.

But where? Where could Izzy find someone willing to go walking and talking with a total stranger?

Izzy looked left. There was May Bee Dime's, a mall, just filled with teenagers bored out of their mind. Perfect.

But who? Izzy went from having no companions to having a mall filled with future friends. So who does she choose? Well, let's find out!

"Hi."

"Hello."

"Hey there."

"What's up, babe?"

All around, a bunch of random people were greeting Izzy as if she was a long-lost friend. The crowd around a store parted and Izzy caught a glimpse of navy blue hair. Unfortunately, he saw her also. Izzy started backing up, but quickly ran into a store wall.

"Shit," she muttered.

The navy blue haired boy kept slowly walking towards her, as if he could take all the time in the world. Well, he could, as the crowd was pushing against Izzy, allowing no chance of escape.

"So, we meet again, bitch," he cussed at her.

"Hey, Jet, dude, come on. You aren't still mad about last time are you?" Izzy asked.

In response, Jet lashed out at her, trying to punch her in the face. Unfortunately, that is, unfortunately for Jet, Izzy was expecting this. She snagged his arm and threw him against the store wall, cracking the glass in the process.

"Shit," she muttered again, as all eyes turned towards her.

Thinking of an excuse in the split second she had before the fuzz arrived, Izzy screamed, "Rape!" and was gone in a flash.

The chase was heart-pounding; several times Izzy just barely managed to escape the cops' reaching grasp. Up the escalators, down the escalators, up the down escalators, and down the up escalators, Izzy ran; the cops right behind her.

She completely forgot about Jet, though, and that was her downfall. He raced right along with the cops, gaining on Izzy. He then swerved around her and raced on. When Izzy turned the corner, there he was, leaning as cool as can be against a wall, not even red in the face.

"Shit," Izzy muttered for the third time.

Five minutes later, Izzy was sitting on the street curb outside the mall, furious.

"I can't believe I got banned from a freaking mall! Next time I get my hands on that –" Izzy was muttering under her breathe, until she felt a hand on her shoulder. Acting on instinct, she grabbed the wrist and threw the person down on the street in front of her. The person looked up at Izzy.

"What was that for?"

"Instinct. Sorry." Izzy stood up and gave the person a hand.

"So, um, if you don't mind me asking… What was all that back there?" she looked nervous.

Izzy just smiled. It looked like she had found her companion for the day. "Walk with me. Don't worry; I'm not going to bite."

"Ummm…" the stranger girl bit her lower lip in hesitation.

Izzy grabbed her hand and pulled her along the sidewalk, headed for the outskirts of town.

"Great, thanks!" Izzy giggled.

Now that there seemed to be no choice in the matter, the girl relaxed about walking with this strange stranger.

"My name is Winter," the girl, Winter, said and brushed back her blonde ponytail.

"Winter… I like that name. Mine's…" Izzy hesitated. Should she give this stranger her real name? She decided to; after all, every good friendship starts with the truth. "My name's Isabeau. But you can call me Izzy."

"Isabeau – sorry, Izzy. I like that name."

"So what was that you wanted to know?" Izzy asked.

"I saw what happened, you know, back that there at the mall, with that guy with the navy blue hair. But, um, why'd he do that?"

"Ha-ha, that's a funny story, now that you asked. Me and him, we go way back… maybe a couple days ago. So I was walking along the street, and he was sitting up in a tree."

"Why?" Winter asked.

"That's a good question."

"Oh. Okay, continue."

"So I asked a rhetorical question, not expecting anyone to answer, but he jumped out of the tree and started talking to me."

"What question did you ask?"

"I asked if tree houses have locks," Izzy answered.

"Why?"

"I was just curious. So, I was talking about ninjas, don't ask me how we got on the subject of ninjas, but then he kissed me," Izzy snorted in disgust.

Winter looked puzzled. "Well, that's not that bad of a thing. I mean, he was pretty cute." She giggled.

"I'm not that kind of girl who will just throw herself at any non-taken boy. I have standards, and I'm not a player!" Izzy snapped, and then sighed. "Sorry for snapping at you. It's just, I've known those kinds of girls before, people like Heather and –" Izzy stopped talking.

"Heather?"

"Nobody. Anyways, he's okay looking, but I've seen much cuter, like Ezekiel or Owen or Noah…" Izzy trailed off; suddenly aware of how much information she just gave away.

"Heather, Ezekiel, Owen, Noah, and you're Izzy… You look familiar."

Izzy was all for running away right then and there, but something in Winter's eyes made her stay.

"Yeah," Izzy sighed, "yeah, I get that a lot."

"Izzy Winters, from Total Drama Island!" Winter yelled.

"Shush! No, do you want the paparazzi swarming?" Izzy whispered.

"Sorry! Omigod! Just, Omigod! Can I have your autograph?" Winter asked.

Sighing, but smiling, Izzy reached for the pen and signed the sheet of paper Winter pulled out from who knows where.

"So, can you tell me about the contestants?" Winter asked, quietly. "My friends will never believe I met you here! I'll never get a better chance to learn about them! This is so cool! Omigod!"

"Sure, sure, just calm down. Weird, normally it feels like people are telling me to calm down," Izzy laughed.

"Tell me about… Harold. He's so talented and I'm a big fan of his." Winter said.

"Well, Harold is classified as the Nerd with Mad Skills, and he's pretty cool. He's picked on a lot by Duncan, but got his revenge by voting off Courtney, Duncan's girlfriend. He's currently dating LeShawna."

"Who?" asked Winter, crestfallen.

"LeShawna is pretty cool. She has dark skin, brown eyes, and black hair, and she was on the Screaming Gophers team, same as me. Remember her?" Izzy answered.

"Oh yeah. He wrote all those love notes to her," Winter sighed, but then perked back up. "What about Cody? He's single!"

"Cody, the Techno-Geek, is adorable. He's like a little puppy, but he's totally crushing on Gwen."

"Gwen?" sighed Winter.

"She's the resident Goth Girl. She also was the runner up –"

"I knew that. I did watch the show."

"Yeah, she was close to winning, but she lost to Owen. She also is dating Trent, the Guitar Player."

"Wow! There are so many different contestants. Twenty-two to be exact."

"Yep! There's Owen, Bridgette, Geoff, DJ, Duncan, Courtney, Heather, LeShawna, Harold, Lindsay, Ezekiel, Noah, Tyler, Eva, Katie, Sadie, Justin, Beth, Cody, Gwen, and Trent, along with me!" Izzy chattered quietly.

"You memorized them?" Winter laughed.

"Yes," Izzy defended herself, "but how is that bad?"

Winter just smiled and shook her head. "Still, I just can't believe it! I'm meeting a celebrity! This is amazing!"

"I know!"

"What are you talking about? I'm not a celebrity."

"I was talking about the 'This is amazing!' part, actually," Izzy admitted.

"Why? I mean, surely you, a famous camper from the even more famous Total Drama Island, would have plenty of people to hang out with."

"The thing is do they want to 'hang out with' me because they like me or because I'm famous?" Izzy asked in a serious tone.

"Oh…yeah."

"That's what I like about you! You wanted to be my friend before you knew who I was!" Izzy ruffled Winter's hair.

"Well, more like you dragged me off, but I'm glad you did," Winter countered.

"Yes, I'm glad I did too."

"But, what about the other twenty-one campers. Weren't you friends with any of them?" Winter asked.

"I was; I still am, or at least I hope so. However, almost all of them live so far away." Izzy looked depressed for a second, but then cheered back up. "But I'll be seeing them soon!"

"What do you mean?"

"There's a reunion in two weeks!" Izzy cheered and started jumping up and down.

"Hmmm… Wait, you said, and I quote, 'However, almost all of them live so far away.' Almost all of them?" Winter asked.

"You memorized what I said?"

"Well, I _am_ talking with a celebrity."

"True, true." Izzy said.

"So, you never answered my question."

"Okay, well, do you remember this one camper? His name is Ezekiel?" Izzy asked.

"Ezekiel? Oh, I do. He was voted off first, which was a shame; he was cute!" Winter sighed, far off in dreamland.

"Yeah, yeah, he is cute. Back to reality, Winter. Anyways, he lives about thirty minutes away from me."

"Omigod! Omigod! Holy crap, he does?" Winter shouted.

"God, Winter, be quiet! Paparazzi, remember!" Izzy whispered forcefully, but still smiling.

"Sorry, I forgot. I just found out that two famous Total Drama Island campers live near me!"

"I know! Isn't it amazing?" Izzy sighed.

"So are you and Ezekiel friends?" Winter wanted to know.

"Of a sort," Izzy answered and blushed.

Winter stood there (they had long since stopped walking and were leaning up against the wall of an abandoned building) thinking, and then she giggled, finally getting what Izzy meant.

"But what about Owen?" Winter asked.

"What about him?" Izzy innocently answered.

"I mean, if you and Ezekiel are going to be a thing…"

"Who said we were?" Izzy asked.

Winter just raised her eyebrows in disbelief. Izzy sighed and smiled. "Yeah, it's going to be tough, but I'm going to have to break up with him."

Winter winced. "Oh, that'll be fun."

Izzy looked at Winter strangely and said, "You sound just like Noah, but a lot more hyper."

Winter giggled at this.

"And Izzy doesn't think Noah giggles," Izzy added.

"Winter wonders why Izzy is talking in third person."

"Izzy thinks talking in third person is fun!"

"Winter thinks Izzy's weird."

"Izzy agrees with Winter."

Winter looked at her wrist, where a watch was strapped, and muttered under her breath, "Shit." She looked up at Izzy and grimaced. "Sorry, Iz – can I call you Iz? – but I got to go now. It was incredible meeting you and talking with you and hanging out with you!"

"Aw, you got to leave now? I'll miss you!" Izzy grinned as if a sudden idea had just struck her. "Tell you what. I'll bring Homeschool – that's Ezekiel to you – here in three days when he visits me."

Winter, who was walking away, turned around and gasped. "He's visiting you?"

"May-be," Izzy answered. "Later Winter! Hope to see you in three days!"

Winter was going to question her more, but before Winter could even open her mouth, Izzy was gone, already running down the street, cackling, her red hair flowing behind her. Winter laughed; it looked like Izzy's head was on fire.

Izzy slowed down to a brisk walk when she passed by the mall, taking the time to glare evilly at the mall security people standing outside the door, making them (and anyone else who happened to see the daggers being mentally thrown at the security) wince. Izzy then started whistling and skipping back to her house.

Once she arrived, Izzy started climbing her tree house vine. She had a letter to write and a slumber party invitation to send.

* * *

_Dear Homeschool,_

_You're really funny, did you know that? Well you are. And in case, you couldn't tell, this is a reply letter from, yours truly, IZZY!_

_If you don't mind me asking, why did your father teach you to act like that? Could you tell me when you see me on the 10__th__? Yes, that's right, when you see me! Because, guess what? SLUMBER PARTY!_

_I got my invitation too, Homeschool, and it did not make me happy. It was obviously one of those fill in the blanks, and they just printed out twenty-two of them and wrote our names in the blanks. But it will be nice, seeing all my friends and you!_

_Homeschool, I can't wait until you come over! I've always wanted a slumber party, but I couldn't have one because Mr. Wright, my RCMP Guardian, didn't think I was mature enough. How dumb is that?_

_Don't bother writing back, Homeschool. I'll see you before then!_

_Yours Truly, Izzy, eh!_

_P.S. See you soon, Homeschool!_

* * *

**And there you have it, darlings. The fourth chapter of the love story between Isabeau, who you may call Izzy, and Ezekiel, who you may call Homeschool. Soon, it will be time for the most dramatic chapter yet, when our hero and heroine meet…**

**MEANWHILE: Winter and Harold will be singing a song about May Bee Dime's, the hottest, the coolest mall evah!**

**Winter: You need the latest threads!**

**Harold: Gosh, I hate rhymes!**

**Winter: So where do you head?**

**Harold: May Bee Dime's.**

**Winter: Where they got the best darn stuff.**

**Harold: Whether you're sweet or tough.**

**Winter: It won't be a crime!**

**Harold: So come to May Bee Dime's! (Gosh!)**

**So, there you have it darlings. This was the May Bee Dime's Theme Song, brought to you by Winter and Harold.**

**This recommendation is brought to you by **Athulis**, my official (as of now) favorite fan! Thanks, **Athulis**! Oh yeah, and the recommendation is… **23 Presents **by **Imagi**, a great author and strong anti-Courtney author on this site. I've actually read this story, and it's sweet. It centers around Ezekiel, and…here…**

He was homeschooled, crude and sexist. He didn't fit in and he certainly didn't belong. So why on earth would he send them a Christmas present? Holiday story featuring the TDI cast. Be prepared you are in for one heck of a wild ride. :D Enjoy! :D

**That'd be the **23 Presents** summary. You can thank me later.**

…

**It's later.**

**Okay, people, that's all I have to say for now, and I'll see you back here later! Read & Review (hint, hint!)**

**L8rs,**

**cometsgirl **


	5. Well, This Is Awkward

**Dear Isabeau,**

**[Congratulations, eh. If you are reading this author note, you have reached Chapter 5, **Well, This Is Awkward**, of **Dear Isabeau,** by **cometsgirl**, who, as you all know, is an author, among many others, at ****.]**

**By the time you're reading this, I'll be on summer vaca! **

**Disclaimer: **Total Drama Island**, **Total Drama Action**, and **Total Drama World Tour **are not under my control. Yet, I add. But soon, so very, very soon…**

**Now, I would like to thank **The Kobold Necromancer **for adding **Dear Isabella,** to his Story Alert subscription and his Favorite Stories list, eh. **

**I would also like to thank **sithlorde1988 **for adding me to his Favorite Authors list and Author Alert subscription and for adding **Dear Isabeau, **to his Favorite Stories list and Story Alert subscription. **

**Thank you, **sithlorde1988 **and **The Kobold Necromancer**. **

**Reviews: [:)]**

**Dear **Athulis**: I can't believe that you've reviewed every chapter I've posted! You are officially on my Good List, (which is good, because you certainly don't want to be on my Bad List.) You believe right, if by best you mean most dramatic. You need to factor in two more females, other than Izzy, all vying for Zeke's attention. Any guesses? During Izzy's flashback, I tried. Being out of character is one of a FanFiction author's worst fears. I'm also looking forward to their meeting; I have some ideas already planned. **

**Dear **The Kobold Necromancer **(yes, yes, I know! *squeals like the ecstatic fangirl I am*): First off, I would like to thank you soooooo much for reviewing! It means a lot to me that you'd take the time to review my story! And you're right; this ride is far from being over. All this has been the plot line climbing towards that gut-wrenching, stomach-flipping drop. Then it's all downhill from there. I'm pretty sure that Whitney scares everybody. And her role in this story is far from over. (Cue the dramatic music and ominous laugh)**

**Dear **sithlorde1988**: Thank you! You're right, about the part of having Ezekiel with any of the girls. If only he wasn't voted off first, we'd know more about who he likes. There's Ezekiel and Izzy, Heather and Ezekiel, Bridgette and Ezekiel, Gwen and Ezekiel (as you would know)… I think everybody's a little wary of Izzy, but she does have a license to kill. Or was she just joking about that part? And there really was no need to return the favor of me reviewing. That's not to say I don't appreciate it anyway! Everybody who's reading this story, check out **sithlorde1988**'s underappreciated story **Total Drama World Tour**. You won't regret it!**

**Dear **mikecheck**: I agree. Justin Beiber is not exactly my favorite singer, if you catch my drift. But if you value your life, you wouldn't say that to any Justin Beiber fanatic.**

**Dear **TotalDramaIslandFanatic**: I'm glad you think so, but let's not be hating on the Duncan/Courtney stories. Some are interesting. I agree though, Ezzy is a much better pairing choice. Do you think – actually this question is directed to all readers – that if there were enough Ezzy stories, **Fresh TV **would make them an official pairing?**

**Now that those are taken care of, it's time to get onto the story!**

**Chapter 5) Well, This is Awkward**

* * *

When the mailman approached Ezekiel's house, Ezekiel was already waiting by the mailbox. Despite the chilly wind and stormy clouds above, the homeschooled boy had been waiting there for the past hour, waiting there for the mail to come.

"Excuse me, mister, but I'm looking for the Martin's house," the mailman told Ezekiel.

"You're at the right place," Ezekiel answered his unspoken question.

The mailman dug around in his bag and found a couple home economics magazines for Mr. Martin and Willa. After another minute of searching, the mailman also found two letters, one addressed to a Miss Candia Martin and the other addressed to a Homeschool. The mailman handed over the letters, unsure why one said Homeschool and not a name.

Ezekiel happily received the letters and started walking back to his house. Had it been any other day, had that letter labeled For: Homeschool been written by anybody else, Ezekiel would have wondered why this new stranger was delivering his mail and not Olivia. As it was, he did realize something was wrong, but he pushed the feeling away.

Barely stopping to through the magazines onto the kitchen table, Ezekiel skipped into Candia's room. Yes, skipped. I bet you are just as shocked as Candia was.

"Ezekiel? What the hell? Did you just skip into my room? And why are you in my room?" she asked, looking up from her book.

Ezekiel didn't answer, just tossed Candia her letter and sat on her bed. He tore open the envelope, hearing Candia do the same to hers, and quickly scanned the letter.

"Well, Ezekiel? Who, what, when, where, why, and how?" Candia asked.

"Huh?" was Ezekiel's answer.

"The letter, dear Brother, the letter," she replied in a condensing voice.

"From Isabeau – uh, Izzy from Total Drama Island, eh. It's a new letter, replying to the one I sent her. I go'ot it today. From the mailbox. And she was answering my letter. The mailman delivered it."

"What does it say?" Candia demanded.

"Um…" Ezekiel was unsure to tell her, but then decided too. "She said I was funny, and she said I could spend the night at her house tomorrow. She told me she got the reunion letter too, and that she can't wait to see me."

Candia, being the romantic fourteen-year-old she was, cooed and sighed happily. "Well, let's go and tell Father and Willa," she rolled her eyes at the name, "that you have somewhere to spend the night."

Together they trooped across the hall and banged on the door. A bleary-eyed blonde opened the door, still dressed in her sleeping gown.

"Good morning, Ezekiel," she yawned, "and Candia. What are you doing up so early?"

Candia just elbowed her way past the blonde, and Ezekiel followed, but not before he saw the look of hurt on her face.

"Father?" Candia called out.

"Candia, it that you?" a tall brown-haired man walked out of the bathroom, a toothbrush in his hand.

"Yes."

"What do you need so early, eh?" he asked.

Candia nudged Ezekiel forward, saying, "Ezekiel here has something he wants to ask you."

"I do?" Ezekiel whispered back.

"Yes, Ezekiel?" Mr. Martin asked.

"Well, you know how you and Willa –" began Ezekiel, before Mr. Martin interrupted: "Ezekiel – and Candia too – please don't call her Willa."

When he was met with two stony stares, he just sighed. "Continue, Ezekiel."

"Since you and Willa are leaving tomorroo' for the home economics and will be gone for the night, Candia and I need to spend the night with someone, right?" Ezekiel asked.

Mr. Martin nodded.

"I was wondering, eh, if I could borroo' the car and drive down to The City **[1]** to spend the night with a friend." Ezekiel continued.

There was a moment of silence while Mr. Martin and Willa looked shocked at the mention of 'a friend', Candia just stood there, and Ezekiel waited.

"Ezekiel, honey, who is this friend of yours?" Willa asked, uncertain.

"Isabeau," answered Ezekiel.

"None of your business," answered Candia at the same time.

"Well, eh?" Ezekiel asked again.

"Fine, Ezekiel, as long as you don't damage the car," Mr. Martin answered.

"Okay, thanks Father," Ezekiel said, and Candia added, "Bye, Father."

Without even looking at Willa, they walked out of the room.

The rest of the day went by in a flash. Ezekiel ate breakfast, went for a walk, read books, climbed a mountain, and fed his pet moose. Eventually, the end of the day came, and Ezekiel started to pack.

"Candia, should I bother to bring some food?"

"I would bring some snack food, maybe some Trail Mix or Granola Bars."

"Okay. So I have clo'othes, a sleeping bag, food, a toothbrush, some duct tape, and some rope, eh."

"Duct tape? Rope?" Candia asked.

"You never know with Isabeau – I mean, Izzy."

"So what are you going to do?"

"I doo'nt know, eh."

"I watched her on Total Drama Island, and I just want to say, one thing, Ezek. Be careful." Candia warned.

"I know, Candia. I am."

"Okay, Ezekiel. I'll see you tomorrow morning, then."

With that, Candia bid farewell and walked out of Ezekiel's room. He shoved everything into a bag, and turned the lights off. He quickly fell into a dream-less sleep.

In the morning, Ezekiel jumped up. He couldn't wait to meet Izzy again. He grabbed his bag and walked into the kitchen. Much to Ezekiel's surprise, he slept in past his usual early 7:00. The clock blinked back at him 8:58. Ezekiel reached for a piece of French toast and walked out the door.

He got into his dark green car and drove down the road. Again, the same mailman was there, dropping of the mail. Again, the fact that it wasn't Olivia escaped Ezekiel's noticed. He drove of his property.

The thirty minutes flew by quickly. Ezekiel soon left The Town and was bordering on The City's outskirts when doubt struck him.

Maybe Isabeau's parents made her write back to him. What if she lied? What if Isabeau realized she didn't like Ezekiel? What if… What if… What if Ezekiel realized he didn't like Isabeau?

It was too late, though. Mr. Martin and Willa are already on their plane, and Ezekiel was already turning onto Izzy's street. There's house 234, house 233, house 232, and, at the end of the street, Izzy's house: 231.

Ezekiel whistled; it was an impressive house. Several stories, spiraling towers, decadent staircases. Next to that house was a handmade tree house, looking very out of place. Ezekiel parked his car on the street outside the house, reached for his bag, and stepped out of the car. He walked up to the door and rung the doorbell, one of those long, chiming bells.

The door quickly opened, and Izzy flew out of the house. She tackled right into Ezekiel, a wild grin on her face, and caused both of them to fall down on the porch.

"Hi, Homeschool!"

"Uh, hi Isabeau, eh."

Izzy sat up. "Come on; let me show you were you can drop your stuff off!"

Izzy yanked Ezekiel up and pulled him along after her, heading not for the house, as Ezekiel thought, but for the tree house. Izzy started climbing a vine – how it got there, Ezekiel never knew – while Ezekiel decided to take the normal way up – the stairs.

"So here's my bed, and this bed is yours," Izzy pointed towards a bed with lime green sheets and a bed with dark blue sheets. "Just drop your stuff off here."

Ezekiel walked over to his bed and looked around, and then he walked back towards Izzy. No one said anything for a couple minutes, with Ezekiel staring at his shoes and Izzy glancing between her fingers and Zeke's face. The tension in the air was so thick you could almost taste it. Finally, Izzy broke the ice.

"Well, this is awkward."

Ezekiel couldn't help himself; he looked up into Izzy's face and smiled. When Izzy smiled that wild grin back at him, Ezekiel started to laugh. Izzy joined him. Soon, they were both laughing, all awkwardness gone.

"I've missed you, eh," Ezekiel told Izzy.

"I've missed you, too, Homeschool!"

"I've forgoo'tten how funny you are," Ezekiel confessed.

"So what do you want to do today?" Izzy asked.

"I doo'nt know yet, eh, I was kinda hoping you knew."

"Well, we could always walk around The City and – oh, I know! Homeschool, there's someone I want you to meet!"

"Does she knoo who…? Well, who yoo' are, eh?" asked Izzy.

Izzy glanced at Ezekiel, knowing in her eyes. "She does. I know she won't squeal. If she told someone, wouldn't the paparazzi be here already?"

"That's cool, that you have a friend who understands yoo'."

"She's not the only one, Homeschool." Seeing his look of confusion, she explained. "There's also you, silly!"

"Oh" was all Ezekiel answered with.

"So come on! I told her I'd bring you to her in The City where I last saw here!" Izzy grabbed Ezekiel's hand and pulled him over to the tree house exit, where Izzy slid down the vine like it was one of those firehouse poles. Unfortunately, Ezekiel was left to fall out of the tree house. Izzy looked up just in time to catch Ezekiel. She grinned at him.

"So nice of you to drop in, Homeschool!"

"So nice of yoo' to catch me, eh," replied Ezekiel.

Izzy dropped Ezekiel, and he fell to the ground with a thud. She then offered him a hand, which he warily took.

"Come on, Homeschool, this way!"

"Eh, coming Isabeau," Ezekiel followed Izzy down the driveway.

"It's not that long of a walk to The City, so you can just leave your car here," Izzy told Ezekiel when he started to open his car door. He shrugged and closed it.

"It's so awesome you have your driver's license!" Izzy gushed, skipping and jumping circles around Zeke as they both headed towards the towering buildings and bright lights that shown even in the early morning.

"I go'ot it about a mo'nth after Total Drama Island ended, eh. Father and Willa," if Izzy noticed the disgust in Ezekiel's voice at the mention of that name, she didn't say anything, "were tired of driving Candia – she's my younger sister, only fourteen – and me aro'ond."

"Mr. Wright never let me get my driver's license. He said he didn't want any accidents. But it's not my fault if someone else drives into me, is it Homeschool? But I guess having a license to kill is good enough for me." At the last part Izzy mimicked holding a gun and pretended to shoot imaginary birds in the sky. Then she seemed to remember that Ezekiel was there with her, and she lowered her arms, her face turned downward. She mumbled something Ezekiel couldn't here.

"Did yoo' say something?" Ezekiel asked.

"Nothing, Homeschool," Izzy muttered back, her long fire hair hiding her face from Ezekiel's view. "Nothing at all."

"No, really, Isabeau, what did you say?"

"I'm not crazy," she whispered back. Much to her surprise, Ezekiel just laughed. "Yes, you are crazy, Isabeau, but it's a good kind of crazy."

Izzy laughed again and looked at Ezekiel's face. "Just call me Izzy. Or E-Scope. Or Explosive. Or Kaleidoscope. Or Esquire. Or –"

"How aboo't just Izzy for now?"

"That works too, Homeschool, that works too."

"You can call me Ezekiel –"

"I shall call you Zeke, and you shall be mine, and you shall be my Zeke!" **[2]**

Zeke looked a little uncertain, but smiled none the less. "Zeke it is."

"So, I told Winter –"

"Winter? Isn't that your last name, eh?" Zeke wondered.

"Silly Zeke, my last name is Winters, not Winter."

"Oh," Zeke scratched his toque, "continue."

"So, I told Winter that I would meet her today."

"Where?"

"I assume where I last saw her."

"And where was that, eh?" Ezekiel asked.

"Towards the outskirts of The City, next to a red brick abandoned building."

"That's very… descriptive, I guess."

"So, come on! This way!" Izzy grabbed Ezekiel's hand and yanked him into the towering City. She led him down several blocks and turned towards the left. Another minute, and Izzy and Ezekiel were standing in front of a rather tall red brick building with wood boards blocking off the windows and entrances. Izzy looked around but she didn't see the blue-eyed blonde from three days ago. Winter appeared to be nowhere in sight.

"Izzy, do yoo' see her, eh?" Ezekiel asked, also looking around.

"She'll show up. I doubt Winter would let pass a chance to meet another celebrity. If every fan is a dedicated as Winter is, then I wouldn't be surprised to have a second season, in a month or several. Chris will wait until Total Drama Island's fame is dying down before he'll poke the fire. I did that once, did you know? My figure hurt so bad afterwards, it was all red and blistery –" Whilst Izzy was explaining one of her many stories to Zeke, it didn't fail to escape his notice that she was still holding his hand. She hadn't let go, and he wasn't going to remind her.

"Zeke, look!" Izzy pointed down towards the end of the street, where two people were walking towards them. One had her blonde hair in a ponytail, and the other let her short black hair down. Izzy and Zeke both squinted down the street, Izzy staring at the blonde girl, Zeke at the black-haired girl.

They both exclaimed at the same time, "It's her!"

By this time, the two girls were only a couple feet away from Izzy and Ezekiel. The blonde was smiling, but her eyes kept glancing between the girl next to her and Ezekiel, concerned. The other girl turned her olive-colored face away from Ezekiel, using her black hair to curtain her face. Ezekiel stared at his shoes, until he noticed Izzy was swinging her hand, still holding his, back and forth. She was the only one of the four that seemed at ease.

"Hi Winter! Long time no see!" Izzy said, the only sound in the silence. Winter glanced at Izzy and offered her a big smile, even though her eyes still betrayed how worried she was.

"Hey there Izzy. How have you been?" she asked.

"Fine, fine. Just up to the usual, plotting the end of mankind and all. So who's your friend?"

At this, the black – haired girl glanced up into Izzy's green eyes. She said, "Hello Izzy. It's always nice to meet a celebrity." Then she turned towards Winter, saying, "I'm going to go now."

Izzy frowned. She could tell something was up. "You won't tell the paparazzi about me and my buddy, will you?"

The girl looked back into Izzy's eyes, and she bit her lower lip, hesitant to make any promises. "I'll think about it."

Before Izzy could protest, she was gone, already halfway down the street.

And not once did her bright grey – almost silver – eyes meet Ezekiel's.

There was a couple of seconds of awkward silence before Ezekiel said, "Well, this is awkward, eh."

He and Izzy looked at each other and started laughing. Winter smiled too, if only at the sight of these two getting along so well.

"Okay, so who was that girl? Because the tension in the air was so thick, I swear, I could taste it. Don't even think of lying to me, Zeke, Winter. You don't want to end up like that last guy who lied to me." The humor in Izzy's voice told them she was joking, but the seriousness in her eyes let them know that she wanted her question answered.

"An old friend," both Winter and Ezekiel chimed at the same time.

"Zeke?" Izzy asked. He just looked at her and shook his head, mouthing "later".

Izzy dropped the subject, and Winter started laughing.

"What is it, eh?" Ezekiel turned so he could see Winter better.

"It's just, a week ago – no, more like four days ago – if someone had told me I would be meeting two – not one, but two! – Total Drama Island camper celebrities together, and I'd actually get to talk to them, I would have asked what drug they were on!"

Izzy and Zeke laughed with her, too.

"I guess that goes to show you, you can never be sure what side the coin lands on until you've flipped it," Izzy said reasonably.

"What does that have to' do with this?" Ezekiel asked, confused.

"Nothing. I've just always wanted to use that metaphor!" Izzy answered with a grin.

"So Ezekiel, can I have your autograph? Please, oh please, oh please, oh please?" Winter begged, holding out a sheet of paper and a pen. Ezekiel glanced at the paper and saw the name Izzy Winters scrawled at the top of the paper. He raised an eyebrow at Izzy.

"I couldn't say no! Besides, I've always wanted to autograph something!"

After Ezekiel finished signing the paper, Winter tucked it away.

"So, Winter, Zeke, what do you want to do today?" Izzy asked, gesturing dramatically with her arms the entire City. She directed the next part towards Winter. "Zeke here is spending the night with me!"

Winter glanced towards Ezekiel, amusement in her eyes. He raised his hands in defense, but smiled. "Father and Willa," again, if Izzy or Winter noticed the way his voice changed at the name Willa, they didn't say anything, "were oot of town foo' today and tomorrow. I had to go somewhere, eh."  
Winter and Izzy just shared a glance and a giggle, the way girls do that annoys boys so much.

"We probably can't go anywhere you two might be recognized. I mean, I like fame as much as the next teenager, but being caught with two elusive, famous Total Drama Island camper celebrities would bring on all sorts of questions I don't want to answer."

"Yes, that's what we are! Two elusive, famous Total Drama Island camper celebrities! Ain't that right, Mr. Zeke?" Izzy asked, poking Ezekiel in the stomach. She had let go of his hand right about when the black-haired girl left. Ezekiel wasn't sure to whether or not to be happy or disappointed.

"Infamous is more like it," Zeke argued. "For me, at least."

"Come on, Ezekiel! You don't think girls are still mad about what you said, do you?" Winter asked.

"Well, all of the girls I've met are." Ezekiel glanced at Izzy, and added, "Well, most at least."

"Maybe you just haven't met the right kinds of girls," Winter purred at him and winked. Izzy subconsciously reached for Ezekiel's hand with her own and silently growled. Winter just waved her off, saying, "I'm joking, Izzy! I personally like redheaded glasses-wearing Bass."

At this, Winter and Izzy laughed, with the harshness gone from the latter's tone of voice. Izzy still kept her hand in Ezekiel's, who had no idea what just passed.

"But seriously Ezekiel, all the girls at my school are so over that. Half of them think you're cute, and almost all of them think you shouldn't have been voted off first," Winter continued talking.

Izzy ever so slightly tightened her grip on Ezekiel's hand, as if to remind him that he was there with her. She hadn't needed too though. "I'm ashamed of what I've said, but I'm trying no'ot to care what people I've never met and never will met think of me, eh," Ezekiel explained.

Izzy smiled at him. "Izzy is so proud of Zeke for learning a valuable life lesson on his short visit at Camp Wawanakwa!"

"Izzy is talking in third person again! Winter likes to talk in third person with Winter's friends!" Winter laughed.

"Ezekiel thinks Izzy and Winter are rather crazy, eh," Ezekiel added.

"Izzy agrees with Ezekiel."

"Winter agrees with Izzy and Ezekiel."

Ezekiel shook his head at the oddness of his two friends.

"Winter knows of a cool gift shop with amazing shit and even more amazing prices!" Winter told them.

"Izzy says let's go!"

"But what if we're recognized –" Ezekiel began, before Izzy interrupted: "Izzy says Zeke should talk in third person! Lead the way, Winter!"

As the three of them started walking down the sidewalk, with Izzy in the middle, Zeke on the left, and Winter on the right, they kept talking. In third person, of course.

"But what if Ezekiel and Izzy are recoo'nized?" asked Ezekiel.

"Winter has an idea. Ezekiel, give Izzy your hat."

As Zeke took off his hat, he muttered, "It's called a toque."

Izzy put the hat – my bad, the toque, on her head. It wasn't much of an improvement, but it would work.

"So what kind of amazing shit does this gift shop have?" Izzy asked.

"And what are the even more amazing prices, eh? Because Ezekiel didn't boo'ther to bring a lot of mo'oney…"

Izzy stopped walking, causing Winter and Ezekiel to stop walking too. Izzy glanced between both of them and said in a serious voice, "Zeke, if there is _any_thing I can get for you, you only have to ask. I mean anything. My parents left me – I mean, I have so much – no, it's just… Take the damn money! I don't want it!" Izzy started shouting at the last part, and then calmed down, banging her head against the wall of the building next to them. "I'm sorry. It's just… memories. Painful memories."

Ezekiel and Winter nodded; they had some of those too.

"And that goes for you too Winter. You were one of my few friends. If you're ever in trouble, or you need a place to hide or stay, or you can't afford something, you just have to ask." Izzy gave a shaky laugh. "Izzy has so much damn money; Izzy doesn't know what to do with it all."

And Ezekiel remembered just this morning, when he arrived at Izzy's place. Apparently it was as expensive as it looked. Ezekiel tentatively reached his hand out to grasp Izzy's. She glanced over at him and smiled.

"So, aboo't that shop with the amazing shit…?" Ezekiel trailed off, trying to lighten the mood. It worked. Izzy and Winter both started laughing, and once Ezekiel realized they weren't laughing at him, he joined in.

They started walking again, three friends without a care in the world. The exact opposite was true, however. Each of the three were lost in their own painful memories, so lost that they were startled when they almost walked straight into a wall. Ezekiel rubbed his head, Winter blinked her eyes, and Izzy (who was used to walking into walls) just glanced up at the sign.

"JT's Gift Shop," Izzy read. Winter perked right up. "This is the cool gift shop with the amazing shit and even more amazing prices. I hope you two realize that when I say amazing prices, I don't mean amazingly cheap."

Izzy linked her arms with Winter's and Ezekiel's, and together the three of them marched into the gift shop. Once inside, Izzy stopped, sure that her jaw was hanging somewhere around her knees. Ezekiel had the same awestruck expression. There were rows of countless shelves filled with sparkly and flashy trinkets of gold and rubies and diamonds and all sorts of other expensive stuff. Winter was the only one who seemed at ease here; she walked right up to the cash register and said, "What's up, JT?"

A man in his early twenties walked out of a back door and answered her question. "Not much, Winter. Business is slow as usual, no surprise there. What's this? I see you brought me to more valuable customers. It's okay; most customers have the same facial expression when they first seem the store. You can look around."

And look around they did. Ezekiel found a small shot glass that – were it at any normal store – would have cost no more than a couple dollars, and it would have been made only of glass and paint. Here at JT's though, the cup was solid diamond, decorated with gold lining and miniature buildings made out of rubies. Ezekiel checked the price tag. The sight of all those zeros quickly made Ezekiel put down the cup.

Winter came across a bucket – solid silver, of course – filled with gold pens. She didn't bother asking, but pulled out her notebook. She scribbled with the pen across the page, and marveled at the silver lead.

But it was Izzy who made the most important discovery. She gasped, which seemed to echo across the room. JT didn't bother moving from the register; he had another customer to deal with. But Winter and Ezekiel gently dropped their findings and scampered on over to Izzy. She was staring at what seemed to be a keychain of a cake. Ezekiel picked it up.

The ring was solid diamond, the cake a gorgeous emerald. But it was the words engraved on the cake that entranced Izzy: Party of the Pretty and the Famous, Year 2006 **[3]**.

Everyone knew what the Party of the Pretty and the Famous was: one of the most expensive and hard to get into parties in the entire Canada. Only the richest and most influential people got an invitation. Every year, there was another Party of the Pretty and the Famous, and another keychain was made. They were rare, beautiful, and above all else, expensive.

"Aye, that be one of the finest in the entire story."

Izzy, Winter, and Ezekiel jumped and turned around, the latter almost dropping the keychain.

"Is it for sale?" asked Izzy quietly.

"It's the only one left in the entire city, perhaps the entire province. It's secondhand – the owners of the keychain are gone – but if you got a couple million C$, I might let it part."

This announcement shocked them. No one had that much money to spend on a keychain.

"That's what I thought." JT gently placed the keychain back on the shelf and walked away to talk with another customer. As soon as he was gone, Izzy whispered fiercely, "That keychain is mine."

"Huh?" Winter exclaimed.

"Quiet, eh. We doo'nt want him coming back o'ver, do we?" Ezekiel reasoned.

"Huh?" Winter quietly exclaimed.

"That keychain, the couple million C$ keychain, belongs to me," Izzy explained.

"Like, it literally belongs to you?" Winter asked.

"It – It's hard to explain, but I – I'll tell you later. Once I have that keychain," Izzy said.

"Do yoo' have a coo'ple million C$ to spend on a keychain, eh?" Ezekiel wondered.

"I doo'nt – sorry, I don't have to buy it. Izzy isn't restricted by the laws that normal people are restricted by." Izzy grinned.

"You doo'nt mean you're gonna steal it, eh?" Zeke whispered, afraid that JT would come storming over there and arrest them.

"I'm going to get that keychain one way or another, and I certainly can't afford to buy it. So, in that sense, yes I'll be stealing it, but JT already stole it from me." Izzy argued. **[4]**

"But –" Ezekiel protested.

"Izzy –" Winter added.

"Zeke, Winter, I'm getting that keychain whether you're with me or not."

"Of course I'm helping, eh. Did yoo' think I'd let yoo' do this all by yoo'rself?" Ezekiel said.

"I… I don't know, Izzy. I would do it, except if we got caught, you and Ezekiel wouldn't be punished because you are two elusive, famous Total Drama Island camper celebrities that have a reunion in a week or so," Winter said, nervous and hesitant. "I don't have a Total Drama Island reunion in a week or so, nor am I an elusive, famous Total Drama Island camper celebrity. I would get sent to jail, no questions asked.

"Besides, how would you steal it?" she continued. "The front and back door exits are guarded with those metal detectors that will alert JT and possibly the police if something unpaid for goes through the doors."

Izzy thought about this for a moment, and then she looked up. She grinned. On habit, Ezekiel and Winter took a step back. Izzy said, "Guys, look up."

They did, and what did they see? Izzy said, "I spy with my little eye an air conditioner vent."

"But how does that help us?" Winter asked.

Izzy raised her eyebrow. "Us?"

"Well, you know, I might be able to help you, as long as I'm not directly involved with the stealing."

"Don't think of it as stealing. Think of it as returning to its rightful owner," Izzy smirked.

Ezekiel hadn't said a word yet, because he was thinking of a plan. Finally he decided on a reasonable idea. "Winter, does this air vent coo'nect with the roof somewhere, eh?"

"Uh, yeah. This air vent connects with the roof," she answered.

"And Izzy, how good are yoo' at climbing through air vents?"

"Very good, Zeke," Izzy answered.

"So how aboo't this? Winter, you go and distract JT, eh. Ask him questions, and stuff like that. Izzy and I will go onto the roof and climb do'wn into the air vents. I will tie a rope aro'ond Izzy and loo'wer her into the shop next to the keychain, eh. Izzy will snag the keychain and I'll raise her up into the air vent. We will then climb down fro'om the roof and stand in fro'ont of the entrance door. That will be yoo'r cue, Winter, to leave."

Winter and Izzy thought about this for a couple seconds before both of them smiled.

"Nice one, Ezekiel!" Winter said.

"You're learning, Zeke!" Izzy added.

"Now let's go, eh."

Winter walked over to the cash register and stood behind a snotty looking woman. Izzy and Ezekiel quickly walked out of the store. Once outside, they found the fire escape staircase. Ezekiel gave Izzy a boost, and she grabbed hold of the railing. Once she had a secure footing, she leaned over and helped Ezekiel up. They quietly climbed onto the roof and found the air conditioner vent Winter was talking about. Izzy unscrewed the vent, and they slipped down into the air vents.

"This is so awesome! I've always wanted to do this!" Izzy whispered back to Ezekiel, as they crawled on their elbows and knees down the vents.

They kept crawling until they reached the vent. Izzy peered down, and saw the keychain. She whispered back, "This is the right vent."

Ezekiel retrieved the rope from his backpack (he knew it would come in handy) and was about to tie it around Izzy when she said, "Ezekiel, I trust you. But if that strange girl with the black hair we met earlier today tells everyone I live here, I'm not sure I could trust you again. I know you and her have some sort of history, and I don't expect you to tell me it know, but I think I deserve to know."

Ezekiel sighed and nodded his head. It was Winter's loud voice that reminded them of their mission: "Hey JT, I saw this gold pen, and I was wondering if it was solid gold…"

Ezekiel quickly tied the rope around Izzy and lowered her down into the gift shop. Izzy could see Winter showing something to JT on the other side of the store. Izzy tiptoed to the shelf and snagged the keychain. Once she had it securely in her hands, she gave the rope a quick tug. Ezekiel pulled her up.

"Perfect, Zeke," she whispered to him, as they set the vent back in its place.

Together, they snuck back up to the roof and down the fire escape stairs. When Ezekiel and Izzy reached the ground, Ezekiel walked into the store.

"So, JT, how much did you say this cost?" Winter was asking JT.

"Look, Winter. I know you might be eager to learn about all of these shiny and glittery and expensive gifts, but I do have other customers," JT responded.

Ezekiel walked up to Winter and JT and said, "Hey Winter, Beau just finished using the restrooms, and we're ready to go when you are."

"Okay, bye JT." Winter and Ezekiel walked out of the store and met up with Izzy. They walked normally until they were several blocks down. After that, they broke into a run.

"That actually worked! My respect for you two has gone way up!" Winter gasped when they stopped outside the abandoned redbrick building.

"Have some confidence, Winter," Izzy laughed.

"That was perfect, guys, eh!" Ezekiel added.

"So, did you get the keychain?" Winter asked.

In answer, Izzy pulled out the keychain and dangled it. The gems caught the light and sparkled.

"I did," she answered.

"Wow, eh."

"I know, Zeke, I know," Izzy said.

"Izzy, Ezekiel, it's been really fun hanging out with you guys today, but I need to go."

"Bye Winter! Hope to see you soon!" Izzy called out to the blonde haired girl walking away.

"See yoo' later, Winter, eh!" Ezekiel waved. Soon, she was gone from their sight.

"Oh, Zeke, I'm so glad I have this back!" Izzy gushed, staring at the keychain. "Thank you so much for helping me."

"It's no proo'blem. But why did yoo' want it in the first place?"

Izzy sighed and gestured to a nearby bench. They walked over and sat down.

"It's a long story, Zeke."

"So is mine, Izzy, so is mine, eh."

And there they sat, the prairie boy and the wild child, both caught up in the past.

* * *

**The End! **

**Or is it?**

**No, it's not really. A few more chapters, though…**

**This chapter's recommendation comes from **Athulis**, and he recommends…**

'Love Ain't Easy, It's Ezzy' **by **The Kobold Necromancer**!**

**It's another Ezzy story, a really good one, and if you like this story, you'll be sure to like **Love Ain't Easy, It's Ezzy**.**

**[1] = Ezekiel's home will be referred to as The Town, and Izzy's will be referred to as The City.**

**[2] = This line is a spoof of a popular line from a popular underwater animated movie. Whoever guesses what movie will win something really cool!**

**[3] = I choose this year for a reason. Izzy was 16 when TDI aired in 2008, right? Well, she was 14 when that party happened. Party of the Pretty and the Famous is not a real party.**

**[4] = I do not recommend stealing a keychain. And Izzy doesn't strike me as a thief, but in the next chapter you will see why she took it.**

**I'll leave you with these questions…**

**Who was that strange girl with the black hair and grey eyes? Why did Izzy steal the keychain? And what are you more eager to learn: Izzy's past or Ezekiel's past?**

**Find out next time on… **Dear Isabeau,**!**

**Still Writing, **cometsgirl**, eh.**


	6. Past, Present, and Future

**Dear Isabeau,**

**Dear Readers, Reviewers, and Other People, **

**I'm so sorry I haven't updated in weeks! Blame my vacation!**

**Love, cometsgirl**

**Ahem. Now I would like to thank **Rafael Pereira **and **Enigma Dragon Warrior **for adding me to their **Author Alert subscription** and their **Favorite Authors list**. **

**And my appreciation goes out to **willothewisp123**, **suzyq85**,** **and **Enigma Dragon Warrior **for adding **Dear Isabeau, **to their **Story Alert subscription**; and **willothewisp123**, **Enigma Dragon Warrior**, **suzyq85**,** **and **Daniel The king of Dragons** for adding **Dear Isabeau, **to their **Favorite Stories list**. **

**Reviews!**

**Dear **Athulis**, I'm glad you think so. I personally enjoyed writing about Zeke and Izzy's first meeting, myself. Your guess is correct, although it's mostly Whitney at this point. You'll see what I mean at the end of this chapter…**

**Dear **sithlorde1988**, I don't imagine Izzy as a thief. You are right, that it was hers to begin with. She's just requisitioning, as you said. You'll see what I mean at the end of this chapter…**

**Dear **Imagi**, I'm honored that you would take a break to answer the spoof :) That sounds painful, though, but at least it's almost done with, right? And if you're at the CIT anger level, then maybe a long break is exactly what you need. Bugs Bunny and a hammer… Now there's an interesting sight. Kinda like revenge against Elmer Fudd, is it not? Winter and Whitney are two rather different problems, but you'll (hopefully) enjoy hearing Ezekiel's and Izzy's stories! Zeke's isn't as dramatic as Izzy's, but then again, he is a sheltered, homeschooled, prairie boy and she's a wild child. As of right now, I'm not exactly sure how the other campers will fit in, but I'm still thinking. **

**Dear** The Kobold Necromancer**, I agree. This chapter shall be very interesting. And don't think of it as theft, ha-ha, think of it as, as requisitioning, or taking back what's hers. Winter is pretty cool. :) **

**Dear** Enigma Dragon Warrior**, Yay! I'm glad you decided to read my story! It is pretty much about Ezekiel's, and later on Izzy's, past memories. I wanted to give some of the characters from TDI/TDA/TDWT/TDR a background, and I choose everyone's favorite homeschooled boy and crazy girl. **

**Dear **suzyq85**, Izzy's past is more entertaining and exciting than Ezekiel's, but much more deadly. **

**Dear **Enigma Dragon Warrior**, The interviews were something I enjoyed writing very much, as it was fun to include some of the other campers. I didn't want to get sued/arrested for copyrighting, so I created my own stores. It's just an odd coincidence that they happen to sound alike. And of course I will. Why wouldn't I? You better not stop writing **Almost! Total Drama Action**, or else I'll sick Izzy on you, and you wouldn't like that now, would you?**

Athulis**, **Imagi**, and **suzyq85 **all guessed where the spoof came from: Finding Nemo! **

**Also, to **Imagi **and **The Kobold Necromancer**, congratulations! They were correct in the fact that Winter is, in fact, based off of **Winter-Rae**, a great fanon-pairing author here. **

**Thank you to everyone who read and/or reviewed my story! You don't know how much it means to me.**

**Readers – You people are the reason I get up every day to write.**

**Reviewers – You people are the reason that I love to get up every day to write.**

**Now, on to the second to last chapter of this story…**

**Chapter 6 – Pain: Past, Present, and Future**

* * *

Ezekiel and Izzy sat on the bench together for a couple minutes in complete silence. Finally Izzy turned towards Ezekiel with an expectant look on her face.

"Zeke?"

"Yeah, Izzy?"

"Well?"

"Well what, eh?"

"Aren't you gonna tell me about everything?"

"What's everything?"

"Do you answer every question with another question?"

"I doo'nt knoo'. Do I?"

"Really, Zeke. I want to know."

"But Izzy, what is everything, eh?"

"Why are – sorry, why were you so sexist? What does the name Willa mean to you? What does that girl from earlier have to do with anything?"

"Yoo' might want to get coo'mfortable. This will be a long stoo'ry, eh."

* * *

_A young boy, no older than 10 years old, was running around a park, his wild brown hair blown every which way by the wind. A golden leaf, finally fallen from its tree as days before winter slowly dwindled down to a close, flutters down to the cool sidewalk underneath. The boy looked up from the furry green caterpillar he was examining to watch the leaf slowly drift this way, that way, spiraling down towards its death. He smiled, his teeth flashing in the sunlight, and jumped up. He quickly brushed off the dirt, grass, and twigs that stuck to his clothing. He then dashed off after the leaf, occasionally jumping up to try and grab it. _

_An article from a littered newspaper was carried across his path, and he stuttered to a halt. He picked up the paper, and started reading._

_**Nightmare on Elm Street**_

_**House after house lining Elm Street falls to mysterious fire.**_

_**(PAGE 3)**_

_**Sunday 4 – The rumors are true. Last Thursday, a house along Elm Street, owned by the Smiths, was burned down. When police investigate the crime, they discovered a bottle of gasoline, a match, and a dead body which was conformed not to be a Smith, but rather Randy Handles, a high school dropout that has been reportedly missing for the past three years. It is entirely possible that he has joined one of the many terrorist groups intent on fulfilling the threat promised by the head terrorist Alma Junín: "We shall destroy, brick by brick, house by house, town by town, city by city, nation by nation, this corrupted world that God has created for us." **_

_**This is not the first house to be burned to charred wood and fragments of blackened shingles, and if the terrorists keep to their promise, it will certainly not be the last. Six other families have been left houseless, and that's just on Elm Street. Police desperate to find solutions to these fires have discovered something that every burned down house had in common. We asked the Chief Policeman for more details.**_

_**"Well, as odd as it sounds, none of the houses burnt yet have had someone in them. It's entirely possible that the terrorists want the families to experience what it's like to be homeless, to have no place to call your own. But that is completely useless now, as the region has set up a safe house for these currently homeless families. Volunteer carpenters are rebuilding these families' houses as we speak, so the terrorists have had no lasting effects. Another strange pattern is that these families are of great importance to our government. Well, perhaps, it's not such a strange pattern. The first house to burn was our blessed governor's house. The second and third houses belonged to powerful school board members. Our representatives' houses were quick to follow. If this keeps up, soon everyone of importance will be crowded underneath one roof. A true terrorist's dream come true, and our own nightmare."**_

_**As you can see, this is much more serious that we originally thought, as – (CONTINUED ON PAGE 4: FIRE)**_

_Ezekiel, who had missed most of the point due to the fact that he kept skipping over the longer words, still frowned none the less. He looked up, just in time to see his leaf flutter by. He dropped the newspaper like it was a hot iron and resumed his chase after the leaf._

_Sitting on a nearby bench, Mr. Martin, the head of the school board and Ezekiel's father, opened up the Sunday news, puzzled over the two missing pages, and started reading the headlines. He turned the page, and just as he was about to start the stock market section, he glanced up. Ezekiel, to intent on his leaf to notice his surroundings, was unaware of the upcoming edge. If he fell, he would tumble head over heels down the hill for several minutes. Mr. Martin sighed in humor and exasperation and stood up. He stretched and started strolling down towards Ezekiel, his long legs easily overtaking the young boy's short ones. _

_The leaf fluttered down to within grasping range, and Ezekiel jumped, his hands closing over the crisp newly-fallen leaf. He laughed, and promptly started losing his balance. A pebble fell loose and skid down the hill. Ezekiel was about to follow, when, like a snake, his father's arm hooked around Ezekiel, preventing him from falling. Ezekiel just laughed and squirmed to get free._

_Ezekiel, still clutching the leaf, raced over to grab the newspaper he had previously discarded. He picked it up and brought it back to his father, who quickly scanned the paper. As Mr. Martin neared the end, his face grew ever paler. Finally, he grabbed Ezekiel's hand and started pulling him towards their house._

_"Father, eh, where are we going?"_

_"Not now, Ezekiel."_

_"But Father, where is Mother? Where is Candia?"_

_"She's at some café or another with her friends. Females need the support of one another and us, Ezekiel, to help them. And she's got Candia with her."_

_"Father, is that true? Because there's this one girl I see every now and then, Mai, eh, and she's very independent…"_

_Mr. Martin turned to stare at Ezekiel, without ever stop walking._

_"Ezekiel, you are much too young to be talking with girls like that. I'm sure this Mai girl has many males helping her without your notice. Now come."_

_"But Father –"_

_"Didn't I tell you not to call me Father?"_

_"Well, yes Father."_

_"Was that supposed to be funny, son?"_

_"No, Father, eh."_

_"Ezekiel…" Mr. Martin trailed off. They had arrived at their house, 183 Elm Street._

_Something crashed from inside, and both Mr. Martin and Ezekiel winced. Mr. Martin reached into his coat pocket, pulled out his keys, and inserted them into the lock. He twisted the keys and opened the door. The first floor was deserted, but both Zeke and Mr. Martin heard two people upstairs gasp. _

_Mr. Martin quickly grabbed Ezekiel's hands, which fell open with shock and the crushed leaf fluttered to the ground, and pulled Ezekiel up to the staircase. Father and son briskly walked – Mr. Martin could never be troubled to run, not matter how urgent – up the stairs and started opening rooms one by one. _

_"Ezekiel, son, let me knoo' if yoo' see anybody, okay?" Mr. Martin called back to the small brunette._

"_Yes, Father!" Ezekiel chirped back._

_Mr. Martin and Zeke painstakingly slowly worked their way down the hallway. Candia's room – which was entirely pink – was empty; as were Ezekiel's bedroom, the guest bedroom, and the two bathrooms. Finally Ezekiel and Mr. Martin were standing outside of Mr. and Mrs. Martin's bedroom. _

"_Father, I hear someone in there, eh," Ezekiel quietly whispered._

"_Be silent, Ezekiel, please?" _

_Mr. Martin gently opened the bedroom door, opened it to an unexpected betrayal._

_Mrs. Martin was sitting half-naked on a guy's lap. A guy who was not Ezekiel's father._

* * *

"Zeke… Your mother was cheating on your father?" Izzy asked.

Ezekiel just nodded.

"So are your parents divorced?"

Ezekiel nodded again.

"Who do you live with?"

"My father, Mr. Martin, eh."

"But, Zeke, I heard your mother on your audition tape."

"Yoo' remembered that?"

Izzy nodded and smiled.

"Well, Mother was just packing up, eh. Soon, she moved out."

"What about Willa?"

"She's my step-mother. But she can never take the place of my real mother, eh."

"Zeke, she's not trying to. She probably just wants what's best for you and your sister."

There was another moment of silence, and then Izzy asked, "So where does that girl fit into this?"

Ezekiel looked up from his feet and smiled. "Olivia's been oo'r mail-girl fur two years now. She was kind and nice, eh, but then she was really mad at me ab'oot what I said on Total Drama Island."

"Does she know about your step-mother?"

"Yes, Olivia does."

"Well, then she should understand that it's not your fault you were being sexist. It's not even your father's fault for teaching you. After all, if your wife cheated on you, it could lead you to believe that women aren't as strong or as smart as the men."

"But then why else would she be mad at me, except for what I said, eh?"

"Maybe – and I'm just throwing out suggestions here – maybe she likes you, and she couldn't bear to see you like someone else."

Zeke didn't say anything, but Izzy felt like she stuck the nail on the head.

"Zeke, do you think Olivia might tell everybody where I live? She already knew where you lived, but know she knows where two elusive, famous Total Drama Island camper celebrities live."

Ezekiel shrugged, but answered, "She might."

"Zeke… Ezekiel Martin, if that girl… if Olivia breathes a word to anyone about where I live, if I see so much as one single paparazzi fly, because of you, I'll, I'll… I'll do something dangerous and drastic for punishment. I've enjoyed this peace and quiet for too long for a mail-girl to break it."

"Izzy! I woo'ld never ask Olivia to tell anybody, and I woo'ld never tell anybody myself, eh! When I get home, I'll ask her not to let anybody knoo' ab'oot yoo'. Really, Isabeau, I woo'ld not do that to yoo'."

Izzy smiled. "I didn't think you would, my Zeke, but you've surprised me often enough that I never know what you'll do next."

Ezekiel smiled back. "Are yoo' sure yoo' are talking about me? Because that soo'nds a lot like yoo'. I never knoo' what the day will be like with yoo'. That's one of the many things I like ab'oot yoo'."

In response to that, Izzy scooted closer to Ezekiel and leaned her head against his shoulders. Ezekiel was shocked for a moment, but ended up smiling. "Izzy, yoo' never told me why yoo' stole that keychain. I knoo' it's a pretty keychain, eh, but there must be something special ab'oot it for yoo' to steal it. Yoo' didn't – and still doo'nt – strike me as the thieving type."

"I'm usually not a thief, Zeke. As a matter of fact, would you believe me if I told you that was the first thing I've ever stolen? And I don't like to think of it as stealing, because it's more of a returning to the rightful owner kind of deal… eh."

"I believe yoo' Izzy. But why, eh?"

"That keychain was my parents."

"Was?"

"They're dead."

"Huh?" was Ezekiel's shocked reply.

"I was fourteen at the time, Zeke…"

* * *

_The clock showed it was 11:55, but the party looked like it had no intention of stopping soon. Everywhere you looked, you would see elegant women with beautiful flowers and expensive dresses, or tall men dressed in smart-looking black tuxedos. The chandelier swayed overhead, the glittering crystals chiming together. The delicate laughter echoed around the large room. Everyone was so caught up in meeting famous and influential people that they didn't notice the redheaded, green-eyed, barefoot, 14 year old girl standing in the doorway._

"_Excuse me, miss, but you're in the doorway…No darling, I'm sure that France wouldn't mind if you bought one of the Channel Islands."_

_One of the many guests just arriving pushed past the girl, hardly even noticing her, he was too busy discussing with a fair looking blonde that just reeked of money. She stepped aside, realizing she was attracting attention, even if it's only a small amount. It would only take one person to make the assumption that she didn't belong there, and then it would be too late to prove anything._

_Izzy noticed the staircase and the deserted balcony and she made her way over to the red soft-feeling, luxurious-looking carpet-clad stairs. _

_Something was pulling the girl up the stairs, some instinct that allowed humans to survive for many millenniums, but whatever it was, it told her something bad was about to happen._

"_Oh goodie," a voice behind her said quietly._

"_Huh?" she asked, turning around to see a boy about her age leaning up against a wall. _

"_I thought I was the only child invited," he explained, flipping his bleach blonde hair out of his blue eyes._

"_I'm not a child!" she fumed. _

_He smirked and raised his hands in defense. "Whoa there. What I meant by child is anyone younger than the age of twenty, which seems to be only me… and now you, apparently."_

_When the girl remained silent, he held out his hand and smiled. "My name's Stone. Well, not really," he added, seeing the girl's doubtful look. "It's actually Henry D. Johnson the fourth, but call me Stone."_

_The girl shook Stone's hand and said, "I'm Isabeau. Or, at least, that's what Mom and Dad call me."_

"_Speaking of which, who are your parents?"_

"_Opal and Richard Winters."_

"_So you're Isabeau Winters. I should have known; after all, Isabeau isn't a very common name."_

"_Oh, but of course, Henry is a very uncommon name, too," Izzy rolled her eyes in sarcasm._

_Just then, an elderly-looking gentleman walked up to the two teenagers and said in a heavy British accent, "Excuse me, fellows, but I don't exactly remember there being bloody children on the guest list for the Party of the Pretty and the Famous."_

_Stone showed the man his invitation and then looked expectantly at Izzy. The British man asked, "Well? Where's yours?"_

_Izzy bit her bottom lip and looked at Stone for help. He quickly covered, saying, "My parents allowed me to bring a guest so I wouldn't get bored. This is Isabeau Winters."_

_The British man didn't say anything, just nodded and walked off. Izzy laughed once he was out of earshot and told Stone, "Thanks for covering for me back there."_

_"You're not really on the guest list, are you?"_

"_I'm not even supposed to be here!" corrected Izzy._

"_But, then, why –" Stone wanted to know._

"_Why am I here? Because I want to prove to my parents that I'm not a child." Izzy turned away._

"_How will being here help prove that?"_

"_Because _Mother _and _Father_," Izzy sneered, "are too busy partying tonight to care for me – not that I need caring, that is – they hired a babysitter. A babysitter! Really!"_

"_So, then what?"_

"_I convinced my babysitter I was going to bed, even though no one actually goes to bed as early as 11:55, and then I snuck out. Through the window in case you were wondering. So then I hitchhiked here with a couple of really nice people."_

"_But why are you here? How does sneaking out prove anything, except that you had a very bad babysitter?"_

_Izzy frowned. "I don't know! It just does!"_

"_But –" Stone was interrupted by a tall woman with his blonde hair and blue eyes._

"_Henry, there you are! I've been looking all over for you. Now, why don't you introduce me to your friend there?" the woman, Mrs. Johnson, Stone's mom, asked expectantly._

"_Her name, Mom, is Isa –" But Izzy was already gone, lost in the crowd of strangers._

_Izzy was drawn back to the staircase. She quietly climbed up to the top, checking the clock. 11:58, it read. She sped up her pace. _

_At the top of the stairs was a balcony, overlooking the party. It was deserted, except for a lone figure further down. Izzy walked over towards him, stopping about ten feet away._

"_Uncle Bonjour?" she asked, her voice strangely calm. _

"_You!" he gasped and turned around. Izzy tried to take a step back, but her feet were rooted in place. Her Uncle Bonjour was holding a gun._

"_Why are you holding a gun? You wouldn't kill anybody, would you?" Izzy asked again._

"_Silence. I need concentration."_

_Izzy scooted closer to the balcony and looked down. Her stomach starting doing flips. The only two people in Uncle Bonjour's line of sight were Opal and Richard Winters. Izzy's mother and father._

"_No, don't shoot them!" Izzy pleaded. "Why?"_

"_Because I'm 'crazy'," Uncle Bonjour answered. Izzy gulped. It was true, that her parents deemed Uncle Bonjour as being crazy and locked him up in the attic. He never struck Izzy as being crazy, or even slightly insane._

"_It's about revenge, isn't it?" Izzy asked one more time, trying to distract her uncle._

"_I know what you're doing, and it's not working. You better go say goodbye."_

_Izzy took his advice and ran over to the balcony. She cried out, "Mother, Father, run!"_

_But all her warning did was cause them to turn and look up at her, confusion on her face. It was the very opening Izzy's uncle needed. He pushed the redhead out of the way and pulled the trigger. Those two shots echoed around in Izzy's head._

"_Thanks, Niece, I couldn't have done it without you. How about a parting gift?" Uncle Bonjour aimed the gun at Izzy and pulled the trigger one last time. Izzy ducked, but a second too late. Pain exploded in her left shoulder. Her vision turned fuzzy. But she could stay awake in time to see her uncle disappear over the edge of the balcony. She didn't feel sorry for him. Today, he took three lives, possibly four. His own, Mr. and Mrs. Winters, and, as Izzy slipped into unconsciousness, maybe even her own._

* * *

Ezekiel didn't even realize he and Izzy were crying until he noticed his jacket was wet where Izzy was leaning up against. He reached a hand around her shoulder and whispered to her, "Isabeau, my Izzy. I didn't knoo'."

"You didn't know how messed up a family I had?" Izzy whispered back.

"I didn't knoo' how hurt yoo' were, eh. Is yoo'r shoulder… okay?"

In answer to his question, Izzy pulled down her shirt so Ezekiel could see her shoulder. A small, circular red mark was easily visible. Ezekiel hesitated, but then ran his finger over it. Izzy didn't pull away.

"It doesn't hurt anymore," Izzy answered.

"So the keychain…?"

"It was the POTPATF keychain for the year 2006, right?"

"POTPATF, eh?"

"Party of the Pretty and the Famous."

"Yes, it was."

"That was the year my Uncle Bonjour killed my parents. That keychain was theirs and now it's mine. I don't know how that gift shop wound up with it."

Izzy pulled out the infamous keychain, and it glittered, catching the sunlight.

"If yoo' are only 16 right noo', who do yoo' live with?"

"I live with my RCMP Guardian, Mr. Wright, or, as I like to call him –"

"Let me guess… Mr. Wrong?" Ezekiel asked, smiling.

"Yeah!" Izzy grinned back.

"How's come yoo' are the RCMP second most wanted person, eh? Yoo' doo'nt seem that dangerous to me."

"Oh, ho, ho, just you wait, Zeke, just you wait. But I have a tendency to run away from Mr. Wright a lot, so…"

"But I heard yoo'r mother in yoo'r audition tape, eh."

"Can I tell you a secret? That wasn't my real mother. Mr. Wright isn't the first RCMP Guardian I've had. Back then, I had a woman Guardian, Monique Ollie Monroe. She claims to be related to Marilyn Monroe. But I called her 'Mom' because I can't shout, 'Sorry, RCMP Guardian!'"

"And the fact that Monique Ollie Monroe's initials are MOM?"

"True, true, Zeke. I didn't think of that."

"Why do yoo' live in yoo'r tree house, thoo'gh?" Ezekiel wondered.

"The house next to the tree house belongs to me, but it's so, so empty without Mother and Father there. I don't want it… or all of the money Mother and Father made."

"So yoo' live in the tree house –"

"Because it's nice and cozy, and –"

"Yoo'r father helped yoo' build it, so –"

"There are too many memories wrapped up in it –"

"For yoo' to leave it alone, eh."

"Exactly, Zeke!" Izzy laughed and smiled at him. "You were reading my mind!"

Izzy slowly leaned in. Without thinking Ezekiel leaned in too. They were inches away from each other, when they heard someone cough from above. Broken from their trance, both Izzy and Zeke looked up to see someone Ezekiel never expected to see again. Her bright pink hair waved in the breeze.

"Whitney…?" Ezekiel murmured.

"Hey! How's my Ezekiel doing?" Whitney asked in an overly cheerful voice. At the words 'my Ezekiel', Izzy recoiled back, as if struck.

"Whitney, what are yoo' doing here, eh?" Ezekiel asked, louder this time.

"Silly! You're the one who asked me to meet you here!" Whitney answered.

"Zeke… Is that true?" Izzy whispered, her eyes tearing up again.

"No, Izzy, it's not, eh!" Ezekiel protested. Unfortunately, his argument was lost, because Whitney yanked Ezekiel back on his feet and kissed him. When she pulled away, Ezekiel stood there confused and shocked. He blinked, and Whitney turned around and walked away.

"Izzy? Isabeau?" Ezekiel turned around. But, just like the sun disappearing behind the horizon, just like birds migrating south for the winter, just like all of Zeke's dreams, Izzy was gone.

* * *

**DUN DUN DUUUUUN! **

**Well, what do you think? Shocking, no?**

**Sorry for the shortness, but hopefully the next chapter will make up for it... :)**

**Now, before I leave you, we have a recommendation brought to you by **Athulis**! **

Smell** by **Lord Akiyama**! It's a very cute Bridgette/Ezekiel one-shot dedicated to **The Kobold Necromancer**. If you're waiting for the finale of **Dear Isabeau,** then that would be a great story to read.**

**Yes, that's right. The finale of **Dear Isabeau,** only one more chapter left… I leave y'all with these questions…**

**Will Izzy forgive Ezekiel? How will Ezekiel cope with the unwanted kiss? And will the infamous Ezzy couple get back together? Stay tuned to find out!**

**Almost done, and until next time,**

**Forever Me, cometsgirl**


	7. A New Dawn

**[CONGRATULATIONS! YOU ARE THE 1,000,000 VISITOR TO ! CLICK _HERE _TO CLAIM YOUR PRIZE!]**

**

* * *

**

**Dear Isabeau,**

Okay, tell the truth. How many of you actually clicked up there to claim your prize? Huh, hmmm, I see…. And quite laughing, I can tell you're laughing.

**Many thanks got out to **Rafael Pereira **for adding **Dear Isabeau** to his Story Alert subscription, even if this is the last chapter, and Favorite Story list! ^^ Also, thanks to **Mello's-Dark-Chocolate** for adding **Dear Isabeau** to their Favorite Story list… and now…**

**The Final Reviews… continued at the end of the chapter (They're pretty long, so if you feel the urge to see if Izzy ever forgives Ezekiel, you can skip over them. Or not. It's your choice.)**

**Dear **Enigma Dragon Warrior**: I wasn't necessarily aiming for douche-ness with Ezekiel's father, or Mr. Martin, but more of a hard-working and very stern father. But I can definitely see how Mr. Martin could come off as being a douche. Jet was particularly fun to write for, in the Izzy chapters and the Zeke chapters.  
I don't really consider Jet evil or good. He's just a character. But I guess the people who own TDI/TDA/TDWT don't really consider Courtney, or Justin, or Heather to be evil or good. They just do what they do, and us people interpret their actions. I wrote that flashback to give the characters some background information, and it was just fun for me to write about the other characters. And writing the reunion between Izzy and Ezekiel was what I was looking forward to for most of the story. I'm glad you got caught up, and read on to figure out if this truly is a love story after all… And as for McDonald's being an actual franchise, yeah, well, let's just hope a Mickey D employee doesn't decide to report this story, shall we?**

**Dear **The Kobold Necromancer**: It's true, that Zeke and Izzy's past hasn't been all roses and rainbows, but I think the problems they faced back then helped them become who they are today… Well, metaphorically today. Not today as in the day you're reading this, but today as in the day in the story. Am I confusing you? Yes, I loved writing how Zeke and Izzy interacted. They're such fun to write together!  
Whitney's not evil, she just happens to be the villain of this story. It's not her fault that she likes Ezekiel and he likes Izzy, but it is her fault that she kissed him! (Or, well, my fault, but that'd be breaching the fourth wall.) Ezekiel's too much of a gentleman to push any girl, but I think he was mostly in shock from being kissed by a person he thought he'd never see again. It shouldn't be his fault, but it is Izzy we're talking about. She'll most likely put Ezekiel through heaven and hell for her forgiveness. But it'll be worth it, he knows it will. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Total Drama Island, Total Drama Action, Total Drama World Tour, any of its afflicting characters, trademarks, or brands. Never have, never will. (I also don't own McDonalds!)**

**Warning: This chapter contains one (1) poem, written by yours truly. I am not responsible for any brain damage and/or any other mental/physical damage you may receive upon reading this one (1) poem. That will be all. Over.**

**I proudly, and sadly, introduce the final chapter of the seven chapter saga between the sheltered prairie boy and the wild redheaded girl… **

**Chapter 7 – A New Dawn**

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* * *

**

Time didn't seem to have any meaning for the lone figure on the bench. At one point it inched along so slow, he could have sworn the clock near-by was broken. But later, it seemed as if the sun suddenly vanished behind the horizon. Soon it was night time, and he had nowhere to go.

Sure, he could always return to Izzy's tree house and face her wrath. But he didn't know if she would let him in. He didn't know if she was even there herself.

Then again, he could try and walk back to his house, but that would take hours probably. And he didn't know the exact way back.

But to him, having nowhere to sleep was the least of his problems. He wasn't even sleepy. On the contrary, he was wide awake with panicky energy. His more pressing concern was Izzy's wrath. He needed to figure out a way to apologize.

"Déjà voo', eh," he muttered out loud. This was just like when he had to apologize to the girls from Total Drama Island: dangerous, and nearly hopeless.

"But Izzy forgave me befur, eh. She might forgive me again," he mused. He sat there for another couple minutes in the dark, trying to figure out how to go about apologizing, until the streetlights flickered on, casting shadows on the street.

As the streetlight above him switched on, it seemed as if a light bulb in his head also lit up. He had an idea.

"The letters!" he quietly exclaimed, excited. But then he deflated. "But what am I supposed to write, eh? '_Dear Izzy, I'm soo'ry Whitney kissed me. I didn't want her to, eh. From Ezekiel'_ That'll work… Oh, great, eh. Noo' I'm soo'nding like Noah."

"Ya know, you could always write her a poem or a song." A voice next to Ezekiel said.

Ezekiel jumped. "Who – Whoo'se there, eh?"

"Don't worry. It's just me, Winter," she explained in a calming voice.

Ezekiel signed and asked, "How'd yoo' knoo' where I was, eh? And how'd yoo' knoo' what happened?"

"It's not exactly rocket science, silly Zeke. Izzy showed up at her house in tears, and you weren't with her. I figured you were still back here. I also kinda heard what you said about you kissing Whitney."

"I didn't kiss Whitney! She kissed me, eh!"

"Little details like that don't matter that much to Izzy. What matters is she saw you and some pink-haired stranger kissing right in front of her."

Ezekiel sighed again. "How do I fix this chaos, eh?"

"I think the word you're looking for is 'mess', not 'chaos'. Although, if Izzy's involved, then it most likely will end in chaos."

"But how?"

"Like I said before, you could write her a poem or a song. Girls also like flowers. Yes, Zeke, underneath all her craziness and rowdiness and excitement, Izzy is a girl. Think about that, will ya?"

"Thanks, eh. I will –" Ezekiel trailed off. Winter had disappeared into the night. "What is with girls and vanishing all of a sudden? I didn't noo'tice any of the girls fro'om TDI vanish, eh."

Zeke sat there and frowned. It was a good idea, but…

"I'm betting you don't have anything to write with, huh. Or paper, for that matter."

Zeke looked up (again) to find that Winter (again) had somehow managed to reappear next to him (again) without him noticing (again).

"Well, no, eh."

"Aren't I such a good friend? I brought you stuff!" Winter held out a normal looking pencil and a notebook. Ezekiel took them hesitantly.

"They're no'ot stoo'len, or anything, eh… are they?" Ezekiel questioned.

"Zeke! I would never give my friends anything I stole! Besides, one robbery a day is enough for me."

"Was that really oo'nly hoo'rs ago, eh?" Zeke sighed. "Hoo' did yoo' get them anyway?"

"Through the magic of this story!" Winter insisted, her eyes bright with soap opera worthy false sincerity.

"Uh, thanks, I guess, eh."

"Don't worry about repaying me! But if you do happen to see a certain redhead, ninja-fearing teammate, put in a good word about me, will ya?"

Before Ezekiel could respond, she was gone. He didn't even blink; he was quite used to people disappearing, "All thoo'gh the magic of this stoo'ry, eh… Wait, what stoo'ry?"

* * *

_Dear Isabeau,_

_I'll probably fall asleep tonight_

_But without you in my sight_

_I'll get ten minutes, give or take_

_Thoughts of you fill my head_

_I'm here to say what must be said_

_While I'm still awake_

_I'm on a shaky boat that I can't steer_

_Izzy, I wish you were here_

'_Cause things are so much better when I'm with you, eh_

_Izzy please forgive me_

_I'm really, really sorry_

_And that's absolutely true, eh_

_I didn't want that kiss_

_Isabeau, it's you I miss_

_I'm apologizing, dear_

_I don't want it to end this way_

_Please listen to what I have to say… eh_

_Izzy, I wish you were here_

_Yours Truly,_

_Ezekiel_

_

* * *

_

Ezekiel frowned. Now he remembered why his parents decided to stop teaching him poetry.

That's so sweet!" somebody cooed.

"Winter?"

"Of course. Who else would it be?"

"Isn't this the third time yoo' have snuck up on me, eh?"

"Yep! I'm practicing to be a ninja!"

Ezekiel didn't know what to say to that, so he just folded up the letter and wrote Dear Isabeau on the front.

"So how are you going to give that to her?"

"That's a very good question, eh."

"I have an idea, if you want to hear it."

"What is it?"

"Place the letter on her front doorstep, knock on the door, and hide before she sees you."

"That coo'ld work… If Izzy didn't live in a tree hoo'se, eh."

"Oh. Well, you could…"

"I'll just make it up as I go, eh."

"Just going to wing it? That could work… maybe."

Ezekiel shrugged and stood up, saying, "Thanks, Winter, fur everything. I'd kiss yoo' but –"

"I'd rather not get caught up in this love triangle, if that's okay with you."

"Love triangle?"

"Yep. Between you, Iz, and that pink haired demon."

"That pink haired demon's – I mean, Whitney's – not that bad, eh! She was my best friend befur, befur…"

"Before Total Drama Island?"

"Befur every act I did was broadcasted across the coo'ntry."

"Try the world." Winter laughed.

Ezekiel gulped. The thought of the billions of people on the planet all watching him, and all most likely hating him for his costly words worried him.

"You better get going. And remember Zeke, don't give up. Izzy's one fish you don't want slipping away."

"Izzy's not a fish, eh!" Ezekiel protested, but it fell on deaf ears. Or, rather, ears that weren't there. Ezekiel didn't even blink as Winter vanished into the shadows, once again. He just stood up, stretched, and looked around.

He was lost.

"So which way do I go, eh?" Ezekiel asked out loud, expecting Winter to answer, which she did.

"Take the road on your right and keep following it."

Ezekiel turned towards his right and started walking down it. A couple minutes later, he saw an all too familiar car: his own. Behind it was an all too familiar house, and next to that, an all too familiar tree house. Ezekiel was at the right place.

He quickly walked over towards Izzy's tree house and climbed the ladder. When he got to the top, he quietly peeked over the edge. He saw his stuff, and he saw Izzy lying on her bed with her eyes closed. Ezekiel gently climbed into the tree house and laid his letter on the floor. He then started climbing down the ladder, but not before he knocked on the tree house a couple times loudly to wake Izzy up.

When Ezekiel reached the ground, he hid himself and waited for Izzy. In a minute or so, Izzy called out, "That's sweet Ezekiel, but not enough."

Ezekiel silently groaned. But he remembered what Winter said: 'Don't give up. Izzy's one fish you don't want slipping away.'

When he was sure Izzy wasn't looking, Ezekiel crawled his way back towards the street. He needed to think of another approach.

* * *

_**I**__ncredible_

_**S**__mart_

_**A**__mazing_

_**B**__rave_

_**E**__nergetic_

_**A**__rtistic_

_**U**__nique_

_**W**__ild_

_**I**__ngenious_

_**N**__onconforming _

_**T**__alkative_

_**E**__xciting_

_**R**__adiant_

_**S**__orry, Izzy, I really am, eh_

_Isabeau Winters, you are all of the above and more, and I'm not giving up, eh._

_Yours Truly,_

_Ezekiel_

_

* * *

_

Ezekiel didn't bother climbing the ladder again; he just folded the apology up and tossed it towards Izzy. A minute later, she called out, "Better Ezekiel, better. Thank you by the way, but… you betrayed my trust. 14 compliments and a poem aren't going to repair that."

"Izzy, I'm soo'ry, eh!" Ezekiel called back up.

"Not yet, Ezekiel" was her answer.

'_At least she's calling me by my name, eh,'_ Ezekiel thought to himself.

_'Now, to fix this problem…'_

_

* * *

_

_-Isabeau,_

_I'm sorry! Why won't you forgive me?_

_-I'm apologizing!_

_

* * *

_

Ezekiel tossed the note up to Izzy. A minute later, she tossed it back down, her answer scribbled on it.

* * *

_-Ezekiel,_

_It's hard for me to trust people, for fear that they'll hurt me or leave me or both, but once I do, I'd trust them with my life. I trusted you with my life… with my heart, and you kissed someone else in front of me! Just be glad I like you, or else you'd end up looking like a human pretzel._

_-I know you are_

_

* * *

_

_-Isabeau,_

_I didn't kiss her, eh! She walked up and kissed me._

_-I'm serious_

_

* * *

_

_-Ezekiel,_

_But you didn't push her away. Some random stranger 'walked up and kissed' you, and you just stood there like an idiot._

_-So am I

* * *

_

__

-Isabeau,

_That wasn't a random stranger, though. That was Whitney._

_-I like you, not her_

_

* * *

_

_-Ezekiel,_

_Great. It gets better. It wasn't a random stranger; it was your best friend._

_-And I like you_

* * *

_-Isabeau,_

_I don't know what she was doing there, eh. I was as shocked as you were._

_-So why won't you forgive me?_

* * *

_-Ezekiel,_

_So why did you kiss her?_

_-Because I like you_

* * *

_-Isabeau,_

_She kissed me, eh!_

_-That makes no sense_

* * *

_-Ezekiel,_

_Regardless, why?_

_-It does to me_

* * *

_-Isabeau,_

_I was surprised that she – my best friend that currently hated me – shows up out of nowhere and kisses me._

_-But not to me_

* * *

_-Ezekiel,_

_Why does she hate you?_

_-I like you, and someone kisses you… forgiveness isn't the first thing on my mind_

* * *

_-Isabeau,_

_She hates me because I like you, eh._

_-Don't you think you're being a little overdramatic?_

* * *

_-Ezekiel,_

_So why'd she kiss you if she hates you, huh?_

_-No! Overdramatic is throttling you like Eva did when you didn't know any better. Overdramatic is hunting down Harold with a lamppost for cheating you out of 100,000 dollars. Being mad that the guy you like kissed another girl in front of your face is not overdramatic!_

_

* * *

_

_-Isabeau,_

_She hates me – hates me and you – to the point of jealousy. She thought if she kissed me in front of you, we'd break up and I'd start liking her. I thought you and I were stronger than this, but apparently not, eh!_

_-I'm sorry_

* * *

_-Ezekiel_

...

_-I know you are_

* * *

_-Isabeau,_

_We need to talk, eh. These letters aren't working._

_-Izzy… please, eh_

* * *

After Ezekiel sent the final letter back up towards Izzy, almost illegible from all of the times it was crumpled, she apparently agreed with him because she decided the appropriate the thing to do in the situation was to dangle upside down 10 feet above the ground. Her red hair gently quivered in the breeze.

"Ezekiel, are you just saying that because you've run out of paper?" she asked.

"Yoo' knoo' me so well," he admitted, smiling and scratching the back of his head.

"Don't think this means I've forgiven you," she warned.

"Not even a tiny bit, eh?"

"Well. Maybe a smidge," she giggled.

"Yoo' remind me of that episode from Total Drama Island, Basic Straining I think? The one where everyone had to hang upside do'wn fro'om the tree. The one where Haroo'ld cheated Coo'rtney of by switching the vote, eh."

"Yep! I should have been on that episode, because I hang upside down all the time. I'm practically an expert."

"Izzy, I didn't want to kiss Whitney. I still doo'nt, eh."

"Ezekiel, please, I'd rather not talk about that right now."

"Well then, we might as well get to knoo' each other, seeing as yoo' woon't forgive me right noo', and I'm not going anywhere."

"Then, Sir Prairie Boy, tell me what being homeschooled is like?"

"Well, it's different, eh. Having my parents teach me up until 4th grade is nice. If I have questions, I doo'nt have to woo'rry. And they understand if I doo'nt complete my homework… normally."

"It would be so cool to be homeschooled!"

"Not always. It did cause me to be voted off first and lose any chance I had at winning, eh."

"True, Ezekiel, so true. Wait, you said, and I quote, 'up until 4th grade'. Why not afterwards? You must be at least hovering around 10th grade, sophomore year, six years past 4th grade."

"My parents got divorced half-way throo' 4th grade."

"You were 10 then, weren't you?"

"Yep. Ever since Willa married my father, I've been teaching myself. Reading books and watching info'ormational television, eh."

"Independent much, eh?"

"Izzy, you said eh," Zeke gasped.

"Zeke hoo' coo'ld yoo'!" Izzy joked in a false Canadian accent. "Yoo'r accent is wearing off on me, eh!"

"I guess so," Ezekiel laughed, "but tell me what middle school, and high school, is like, please."

"'It was the best of times; it was the worst of times', so to speak. There were times where I would spend all weekend looking forward to school, and there were times where I practically had to beg Mr. Wright to let me stay home."

"That sounds rather interesting, eh."

"Are you feeling tired?"

"Not really. Are yoo'?"

"Not at all. I guess this will be another one of those nights where I don't get any sleep."

"I agree."

"So if neither of us is going to sleep, would you be okay if I told some stories?"

"Why woo'ld I mind, eh?"

"Some people find my stories annoying and crazy… just like some people find me annoying and crazy." Izzy sighed.

"I doo'nt find yoo' annoying at all! And yoo' are crazy in the amazing sort of way."

Izzy laughed. "Thanks! You're pretty crazy, too!"

"I'm crazy for yoo'."

"That was sweet. Cliché, but sweet, Zeke."

"It's also troo'."

After Izzy didn't respond for a minute or two, Ezekiel added, "Woo'ld yoo' mind telling me a stoo'ry? I find yoo'r stoo'ries really interesting, eh."

Ezekiel could practically feel then happiness radiating from Izzy. He grinned.

"Well, if you insist, Zeke-san. Did I ever tell you why I'm afraid of air conditioners?"

"Yoo' are afraid of air coo'nditioners, eh?"

"And flying!"

"I knew yoo' were afraid of flying, fro'om the Phoo'bia challenge, but I didn't knoo' yoo' were afraid of air coo'nditioners."

"Well, I am, it's true. And have I got a story for you! Hey look Zeke, we're both poets! So, anyway, this story takes place a long, long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away… Actually at a summer camp somewhere in Florida about three years ago…

"Ah, right now I can't even remember what the camp was for. Something wild and outdoors y, I'm guessing. But we were sleeping in college dorms because that college was sponsoring the camp, and my roommate and I stayed up until two in the morning talking about random stuff.

"My roommate's really cool. She was incredibly random, and she was always adventuring with me that week. Unfortunately, I haven't seen her since. Our conversation went something like this…

* * *

"'Hey Izzy-kins, are you awake?'

'Of course! It's only one in the morning, or something!'

'Yeah, I couldn't sleep. I'm pretty sure my great-great grandmother was an owl!'

'That is so cool!'

'Or maybe it was my grandmother who was an owl!'

'I once sent my grandmother's house on fire!'

'I once set my school's stage's curtains on fire for my talent show!'

'If I ever competed in a talent show, I'd do my famous snake dance!'

'My brother has a pet snake!'

'I want a pet snake!'

'I want a pet turtle!'

'I once saw a turtle cross the road!'

'I once saw a chicken cross the road!'

And then I said, 'In some places, it's illegal for chickens to cross the road!' So that's pretty much how our night went. Finally, we decided to take a nap. Unfortunately, it was freezing.

"So I, being the kind-hearted girl that I am, ordered Mitzi my roommate to turn up the heater. She didn't want to, so it was left to me. I walked over to the air conditioner and pressed the button that said heater. Suddenly, I could feel heat being emitted into the room. It was perfect.

"But in not even a minute after I lay down, the air conditioner started to smoke. Sparks began to fly from it, and the fire alarm turned on. Just so you know, Zeke, the fire alarm is freaking loud.

"Mitzi and I were wide awake, and we burst into the hallways where our other floor mates were staring sleepily at one another. We – being the smart children that we are – just stood there for a couple seconds before Patti finally shouted, 'C'Thulhu, aren't we stupid? Are we just going to stand her when the _fire alarm_ is going off?'"

All the while Izzy was telling the story, Ezekiel was being the perfect listener. He laughed at the funny parts, gasped at the surprising parts, and asked questions at exactly the right point.

"So the other girls and I quickly raced towards the emergency staircase (we were on the second floor) and opened the door. Much to our surprise, opening the door set off the fire alarm for all of the other dorm buildings. So not only was our floor and the floor beneath us wide awake, but everyone else was also wide awake. We didn't stop to think about that now though, as we practically jumped down the entire flight of stairs. Of course, Mitzi and I actually did jump down the entire flight of stairs.

"When we got to the ground, we raced out to the front of our dorm. Mitzi and I found the window that was our room, and we gasped in shock. Zeke, the air conditioner had literally burst into flames. We sighed in relief – well, Mitzi was sighing in relief, I was sighing in disappointment that the whole entire dorm wouldn't catch on fire – when the sprinklers turned on and slowly put out the fire.

"Everyone from our door quietly turned to face the other dorms, where all of the other children had gathered into one large crowd and was staring at us. You should have seen their facial expressions! It was priceless, Zeke! The looks ranged from shocked to sleepy to downright pissed off. Quickly everyone from our door to a step away from me and Mitzi, leaving us to face the stares and glares of our fellow campers.

"Mitzi, like me, had a large grin plastered on her face. We looked at each other and burst out laughing. A couple of the other people giggled too, or just rolled their eyes. After we stopped laughing, everyone just stood there, unsure of what to do. The problem, you see, was everyone had left their key to their dorm room in their dorm room, meaning everyone was locked out.

"Finally, Mitzi said, 'Ya know, we should probably tell the counselors.' Someone else called out from the crowd, 'Tell them what? The fact that you two are responsible for all of the dorm buildings almost burning down? That everyone is locked outside because of our panic to escape the fire?'

"I couldn't just stand there while that stranger insulted my friend, so I answered back, 'Hey, don't blame us. Blame the air conditioner!'

"At that, Zeke, everyone started laughing. Only Mitzi noticed when I shivered at the mention of air conditioners. She smiled knowingly at me, and we both rolled her eyes. I whispered to her, 'We should probably actually tell the counselors. Let's sneak away while they're distracted.'

"She agreed, and we both silently blended into the crowd, working our way towards the counselors' building. A couple people realized who we were, but they thankfully choose not to say anything. The fact that Mitzi was glaring at anybody who made eye contact, and I kicked anybody who opened their mouth might have helped.

"We finally made it to the counselors' building virtually undetected. We didn't bother knocking – who does anymore? – and we burst into a counselors' meeting. Twenty something pairs of eyes were on us, and our counselor for our floor sighed. She said, 'Girls, didn't we just discuss not leaving your keys in your dorms?'

"Mitzi and I looked at each other Zekey-san, and started laughing again. In between chuckles, I managed to blurt out, 'Don't blame us! Blame the air conditioners!' Again, no one noticed when I shivered in fear at the mention of air conditioners.

"The counselors still looked confused – and angry – so Mitzi added, 'Blame the air conditioners, and blame the fire!'

"At the word fire, all of the counselors jumped to their feet, full attention on us. One of the counselors tensely asked, 'What happened?'

"'Well,' I began, 'It turns out one of the air conditioners burst into flames and set of the fire alarm. The people on that floor ran out of the emergency door, and set the fire alarm off for all of the dorm buildings. In everyone's panic to escape the fire, no one remembered to bring their key with them.'

"'So you're saying…' Another counselor trailed off. I started laughing again at the sight of his face, Zeke, you should have seen it! Mitzi continued for me. 'Yep. Every single person at this camp is locked outside at three in the morning because an air conditioner burst into flames. Wow, I never thought I'd say that sentence.'"

"The counselors wanted to know what happened with the fire, but Mitzi and I just shrugged it off, saying that the sprinklers took care of it. Once the counselors knew what was happening, Mitzi and I quietly slipped out of the building and back to the dorms. Everyone was still standing around, talking and joking and laughing, and we just blended right back in.

"When the counselors arrived in a couple minutes, everyone was confused about how they could've known. Mitzi and I were standing in front of our dorm with our other floor mates, and we certainly didn't offer any information. We were two girls of mystery, Zeke.

"The counselors looked up at our window, which still had smoke coming out of it, and sighed. One of them asked loudly, 'Whose dorm is that?'

"Mitzi and I rose out hand, holding in the laughs, and the counselors sighed again, muttering, 'Of course it's you two.'

"It was pretty hectic after that. The counselors were busy handing out spare keys to everybody. Any time one of the adults would look at me or Mitzi, they'd sigh and turn away; but any time one of the other campers would look at me or Mitzi, they'd grin and give us a high five or fist bump.

"It took forever, but finally Zeke everyone was in their dorms again. Of course, by then, it was practically time to get up. We had to get up at six in the morning, in case you wanted to know. But I guess you normally get up that early, huh, working on a farm and all that, eh, Zeke-san?

"The rest of camp was pretty uneventful, but every time I would look at an air conditioner, all I could imagine was it slowly… going up in flames… and burning everything, Zeke, everything… Until I was all alone, all alone…"

* * *

Izzy trailed off. Ezekiel looked up, surprised to hear quiet sobs. "Izzy, are yoo' okay?"

Izzy stopped crying, as if just hearing his voice reminded her that where and when she was. "Oh yeah, Zeke, I'm fine. It's just… memories are tough for me, eh."

"So yoo' were crying because yoo' miss hoo' things used to be, eh; not because yoo' were scared at the memory of yoo'r air coo'nditioner catching on fire and locking everyoo'ne at yoo'r camp outside of their dorm, eh?"

"Well, I guess me recalling the reason why I'm scared of air conditioners did make me scared, not just wishful… thinking…"

Izzy trailed off, as if suddenly realizing something. She laughed and started swaying back and forth.

"Izzy, are yoo' okay? And be careful not to fall, eh!"

"Zeke, my Zeke, you actually listened to me telling my story!"

"Why woo'ld I not? It was oo'ne of the best stoo'ries I've ever heard, and yoo' are a great stoo'ry teller."

"Most people just pretend they were listening, or they run off while I'm in the middle of the story! But not you, my Zeke, you cared enough and were interested enough to actually listen!" Izzy laughed again in delight.

They carried on like that for the next few hours; Izzy telling one of her stories, and Zeke listening to it and asking questions. Every time Ezekiel would ask something, Izzy would laugh again and answer him. They were both delighted with each other, and neither wished it to end.

"So there I was, hanging by one arm from the cliff, and the zombie-pirate says, 'Arg! I'm gonna eat your brains for dinner and have your insides for dessert! Now give me my booty!' I growled right back at him, and shouted –"

Izzy's story about how she saved an ancient village from being taken over by zombie-pirates was interrupted by Ezekiel's watch beeping.

"Hey, Zeke, is that you?"

"Soo'ry, eh! My watch beeps at six in the moo'rning so I knoo' to get up!"

"Don't you have a rooster to do that?" Izzy teased.

"Yeah, well, our rooster doo's not quite wake me up, so I set my watch, eh."

Izzy giggled, and Ezekiel called up, "Izzy! Yoo' have been hanging upside do'wn fur hoo'rs! Aren't yoo' getting dizzy at all?"

As if on cue, Izzy started to wobble. She lost her balance and toppled out of the tree house. Ezekiel jumped up and dashed forward. Izzy grinned down at him and landed safely in his arms, bridal style. Grateful, she threw her arms around his neck and snuggled close to him.

"So nice of yoo' to drop in, Izzy!"

"So nice of you to catch me, my Zeke."

"But are yoo' okay? That was quite a fall, eh."

"And you are quite a catcher, eh. Besides, look Zeke. It's better to see the sunrise down here."

Izzy pointed towards the east. Ezekiel turned around to find the brilliant sphere of burning gas rise above the horizon.

"Yoo' are right, Izzy. It is better to see the sunrise do'wn here. And what a sunrise, eh."

"It's pretty nice, but you, my Zeke, are a million times better."

Ezekiel glanced down at the redhead in his arms and smiled. They both leaned forward, and their lips met. After a couple seconds, Izzy broke apart the kiss and leaned her head against Ezekiel's shoulder. He sighed contently.

"I'm guessing yoo' forgive me, eh?"

"I forgave you at the start, my Zeke. I just wanted to see how far you were willing to go for me."

Ezekiel leaned in for a short second kiss, quietly whispering in her ear, "To the end of the earth and beyoo'nd, my Izzy. To the end of the earth and beyoo'nd, eh."

The two glanced back up at the sun as it cast a golden light over the world, and they knew that whatever happened at the Total Drama Island reunion, and whatever happened after that, they would always have each other.

* * *

**Final Reviews Continued…**

**Dear **sithlorde1988**: I tried to make it subtle that Whitney liked Ezekiel, all the while dropping hints so all the while dropping hints so someone might be able to figure it out. But yes, so everyone knows WHITNEY THE PINK HAIRED DEMON LIKES EZEKIEL MARTIN. And yes, Whitney became very protective over Zeke, especially when he was around or talking about other girls. She's been dropping hints for him, but poor Ezekiel didn't seem to pick them up. Either that, or Zeke didn't want to.**

**Dear **Athulis**: Last chapter was the climax of the story, and this chapter is pretty much Ezekiel trying to pick up the pieces of his and Izzy's relationship, a relationship Whitney tore into little pieces and scattered. It is sad, especially for me, that this story has reached its end, but in my opinion, it's a fitting end, and I'm already planning my next idea. :)**

**Dear **Rafael Pereira**: So you think that having her not so crazy 'crazy' uncle murder her parents at a famous party, shooting Izzy in the shoulder, and leaving Izzy under the protection of a RCMP Guardian is a good explanation of Izzy's past? Well, I'm glad you think so!**

**Awww… Don't you just love happy endings? **

**Now, before I say good-bye, I would like to thank many people, like Imagi, allygirl56, xXErineilXx, John Morrison Invades TDI, mikecheck, and Rafael Pereira. But even more, I would like to thank Athulis, The Kobold Necromancer, sithlorde1988, and Enigma Dragon Warrior…**

**I write for my readers, I write well for my reviewers. ^-^**

**As you can tell (or not), I am quite ecstatic about finishing my first Fanfiction. It was certainly quite the wild ride, was it not? It pains me to say goodbye (maybe that's the reason why I'm typing this ridiculously long author's note, but eventually it's gotta end. I digress.), but I hope it's not for long!**

**Be sure and check out my next story! TDI2: Total Drama Impossible! (Gosh, don't you just love cheap advertising?)**

**(And in case you were wondering, the incident at the camp Izzy was talking about to Ezekiel [where she accidentally sets her air conditioner on fire] actually happened to me. So don't doubt it's possible. Anything's possible if you put your mind to it! Expect for trying to slam a revolving door.)**

**See you in the funny paper,**

**~cometsgirl, eh!**


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